


When Monsters Are The Cage

by r2mich2



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Human, BlackIce, Colonial Burgess, Constant Mentions of Death, Dark!Bunny, F/M, Finished!, Gen, Graphic depictions of violence - Freeform, JackRabbit - Freeform, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Tooth/North, One Sided BlackIce, OneSided!BlackIce - Freeform, Pitch and Seraphina backstory is present, Pookas, Possible for Sequel, Pre-Ice!Jack, Sad Ending, Wolves in large packs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-23
Updated: 2013-08-05
Packaged: 2017-12-15 23:12:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 48,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/855072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/r2mich2/pseuds/r2mich2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Burgess is an isolated town that has been abandoned by all but its villagers and is constantly terrorized by wolves and a beast from the mountains. When a stranger attacked by one of the beasts from the wild shows up and takes an interest in Jack, Jack ends up in an all out war between two forces of nature: Fear, and Spring. Jack begins to understand the threat to his village and the people within it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Town of Burgess

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Caught](https://archiveofourown.org/works/733021) by [tatou](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tatou/pseuds/tatou). 



> It's not the most original of ideas now that I think about it but I'd like to take a twist on the old Colonial Burgess Jackrabbit fic and make this! It was inspired by the fic Caught by QWERTYbee, which I highly recommend. 
> 
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/733021/chapters/1362365 
> 
> I give her all credit for the setting and basis of the story. 
> 
> Anyhoo, enjoy. The first chapter is without speaking Jack's Sister's name because I hadn't decided it at that point and I wanted some readers to choose on it.

Legend tells of a monster, something ferocious and dark that roams the mountains above Burgess. The small town was situated in a large valley opposite of the looming earth formation, surviving on the edge of the forest. It was placed between the forest and the mountain so that the townspeople would have less fear of the unknown.

A river ran through the forest, past the town, and cut through the valley where it flowed from somewhere in the mountain range. Some travelers who'd once dared each other to travel along the river discovered that it ran between two mountains but they hadn't dared to follow it past the valley for there was the beast living among the peaks.

It was fiercer than any wolves that lurked there and there quite a lot of wolves at that. The villagers of Burgess didn't dare leave their homes at night unless in the company of others and only then when in large groups. The small portion of livestock they had in Burgess never spent the nights outside for in the morning they were either gone or a carcass on the ground at the edge of the woods or in their pens.

Horses, pigs, goats, sheep, they were all kept in the barns at night. They were locked away behind the wooden doors so that hopefully the wolves, or worse, wouldn't attack them.

The people of Burgess were very cautious. Many times people had gone missing, believed to be eaten by the packs of wolves or the ferocious beast in the mountains. They couldn't leave the valley either, not when the closest village was days away through the woods and the animals in the forests dared to attack travelers. The only other place was over the mountains but no one had a chance to survive with the appearance of the beast.

The people prayed for those traveling to the other towns and villages through the forest path and it was often that a lone horse would be found running about outfitted with all their tack and luggage, completely spooked and no rider nearby. Anyone traveling the on the forest path would find the remnants of carts or the bones of some poor fellow. It was a grim sight.

Yet, surrounded by peril and no escape from the danger that moved in around them, the people of Burgess thrived during the day time. The children lived like children, careless when in the presence of the village or several adults but never were they allowed out at night. The men grew strong and burly and the women watchful and strong. But no matter their strengths they all feared the night and what came with it.

Jackson Overland Frost was one of the few who thought to question the fear he'd been raised in. He was a very spirited boy and he didn't worry all too much about the things that others did. He only worried for his sister's safety. Some of the villagers thought he was stupid for acting as such and thought he'd be a victim of the beast for traveling too far or daring to go night time ice skating like he always spoke of doing.

Other villagers played it off as the result of his lack of biological parents. Jack's parents had been coming to Burgess in the days when people hadn't known so much about the wolves and the beasts. He was around seven years old when they were traveling and his little sister had just been born a few weeks before which was the exact reason why the family was traveling. Jack's mother had a brother who had helped found Burgess who had often boasted in letters about the perfect village and she had been determined to move their after her daughter was born.

Unfortunately this led to one of the most tragic of accidents and one of the first attacks of the unknown beast that had been occupying the mountain range.

Jackson lost his parents when the monster had crept up on the family and snatched away his mother. His father quickly went to her rescue and all Jack could do was listen as his mother screamed for mercy until she died with the last request that Jack run with all his might and protect his sister.

To this day, all Jack could remember of the event was screaming and the feeling of his sister in his arms. He remembered a dark grey blur and being chased. But nothing more than a few flashes of memory where he was defending himself against something with a stick he'd picked up.

No one quite knew why he and his sister had survived when his parents were so brutally murdered, but the villagers guessed that the beast had had enough with fighting more prey. With Jack's arrival to the village, he was welcomed into the loving arms of his uncle Nicholas North. The husky man gladly took in his nephew and niece at the loss of his sister and brother in law.

Otherwise, Jackson and his sister were raised on occasion by Miss Tooth, or Toothiana by the local girls who claimed she looked like a princess with her foreign golden jewelry. Tooth was often the mother figure to Jack's little sister.

In reality though, with how busy North and Tooth were, Jack and his sister never really had any parents and while Jack had no real fear of the monsters in the woods, his sister did. She had heard of how her mother and father died because of the beast and she wanted nothing more than for her brother to listen to the elders of the village and stay inside at night where it was safer.

Nothing could quite get Jack to take care in his actions and most of the time when he did. It was only to calm his sister or the other children who'd begin getting upset which was often whenever the kids decided to spend the night together in one house.

There were never many kids in Burgess, not since people were prone to disappearing. At the time there were only ten around the age of eleven and below. There were two infants and two teenagers between the age of thirteen and fourteen and then another four teenagers that were Jack's age. Jack was seventeen but his birthday was in a few months during December.

Generally most of the pre-adolescents spent their time together, even the older ones. It was like they were their own band, looking out for each other and protecting each other.

-o-

The night a few days before the full moon, the kids were all gathered together in North's workshop. It was a common meeting place for the kids since the man was one of the fiercest in the village and because his workshop was the only place where all the kids could fit together for one night and tell scary stories about the angry beast living on the mountain and the wolf packs in the woods. It was also one of the only places where they could smuggle candy to from Sanderson Mansnoozie, or Sandy, the local push over towards the children. In other places, Miss Tooth would hunt them down and tell them how bad sweets were for their teeth.

North let them get away with everything in his workshop and there, they got to play with the few toys he had lying around. Before Burgess had been isolated from the other nearby towns, North had made special toys for children and gave them away on Christmas, selling them so they could become gifts as well. But after the monsters moved in, North stopped making so many and just made prototypes in case Burgess would ever be freed. Otherwise he spent his time watching the kids and hunting.

The burly man was upstairs, away from the direct sight of the kids so that they may think they had privacy when really he was at the ready for any signs of trouble. His niece and nephew were among those children.

Jack Frost was sat on a pile of burlap sacks while all the other kids were piled around in a circle of makeshift beds. There was a lamp in the center of them and several in the corners of the room. Their circle gave them the false sense of security that they were safe huddled together.

"When do you think the next attack is going to be?" Jamie Bennett asked. He was always very wary of the wolf packs because he too had lost his father to an attack. Almost every kid had lost a close family member to the attacks or at least the starvation in the winter.

Most kids had lost a father and others a mother. Some even lost a sibling. Jamie luckily still has his little sister Sophie and his mother Mrs. Bennett.

"Who knows? Winter's coming in hard this year…I bet more people will die of starvation than attacks." Pippa chimed in, a good friend of Jamie. She lay on her stomach next to her friend Cadence who was drawing horses in a small notebook of parchment paper her parents had given her for her birthday. It was one of the few collections of paper that would ever be given to a child. The other stacks were used by adults.

Monty nodded his head from on the other side of the circle. "We've only got a few more weeks left of fall…hopefully there's enough food saved up." He spoke in his normal negative tone. He was never the brightest of children, though ultimately, no one was except Jack.

"Don't worry Monty. I'm sure we'll be fine. We made it last year." Jack's sister chimed in hopefully. She barely missed Monty's response of 'barely' under his breath. They all remembered the previous year. They remembered being able to count their ribs and looking like bare skeletons of human beings.

Claude and Caleb Jenkins both shook their heads. "Hopefully someone can make it out if it gets too bad." Claude said, speaking both his brother and his own opinions in one statement.

"I don't think they'll let someone go at this rate. When was the last time anyone made it? It'll take days!" Pippa responded. They all looked to Jack and his sister when they mentioned it, causing Jack to roll his eyes and scoff. He was the last person known to survive an attack from the beast and no one knew how he did it.

Jack ignored them, holding the large staff-like stick he'd picked up during that battle with the beast. He wasn't scared of the wolves or the so called beast. No one could actually confirm the thing existed. People said they'd seen a large grey furred thing which could have just been another deranged wolf.

He personally couldn't remember the events that took place when his parents died no matter how hard he tried. North and Tooth said he'd blocked the memories out because it was so traumatic but he wanted to know. Was the beast really there?

He looked back towards the kids who were all staring at him. He already had them staring at him all the time because their parents told them not to hang out with him, and now they were staring at him because he was the one guy who fought off the beast.

"So what? Do you want me to go out there through the mountain pass in the dead of winter?" He asked. All the kids stared at him, his sister specifically in worry that he might do such a thing. Monty was about to make a correction in his statement and say it was still fall, but Jack shut him up when he looked specifically at him with a warning glare.

The kids all refrained from saying anything at that point and returned to staring at the lamp before them. They were tired and scared and the oldest kid among them was doing nothing to help. Technically Jack wouldn't be a kid after long. He'd be an adult. He'd have to work with the other adults to make sure the people are protected and life is as normal as possible.

All was silent for a while until they heard the sound of a wolf howling outside, rather close. Instantly all the children whimpered in fear, turning to the person closest to them and giving them a scared look. Jack sighed once he saw the genuine anxiety wafting off the kids and decided it was best they listen to a story.

He got up from his seat on the burlap sacks, taking a small moment to glance out the window and when he didn't see any wolves, he still walked towards the kids and sat down next to his sister.

"A long, long time ago there was a shooting star." He started, smiling when all the kids looked at him again with interest. He couldn't ever treat the children badly. He always played games with them and tried his hardest to make them laugh. He couldn't ever understand how they could let go of their fun side, so he tried to put a smile on their faces and bring it back for them.

"This shooting star was one of the brightest in the sky and he had seen everything on the earth since it was born. He'd seen humans come to life and he'd seen the beginnings of many races." Jack continued, pulling his sister into his lap when she sat up beside him. "The star eventually became the light in children's eyes and whenever the children looked up at it, they'd make a wish."

Jack looked around at all the children and saw that they were listening, no matter their age. "Soon the star wanted badly to be with the people making wishes on him and he tried hard to visit them and eventually the star tried so hard he fell to the Earth and he couldn't return."

He then looked around at each of the kids. "Do you know what that star now does? He travels to each child's room at night and gives them wonderful dreams because dreams are what lead to wishes coming true."

All of the kids grinned at him until of course Caleb pointed. "Are you talking about Mr. Sandy? Cause he almost looks like a star with that crazy hair."

Instantly the room erupted with laughter and the children no longer felt so afraid of the dark, if only for a little while. They all laughed and talked about how Sandy would be an awesome wish granter and that must be why he never talks. He can't wake up the kids he's giving dreams to.

They were so distracted by their laughter that they didn't hear the sounds of howling in the night and canine monsters outside the front door. Instead they didn't hear it and remained blissfully ignorant to the danger just outside their door.


	2. Stranger Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The town is visited by a strange traveler in the middle of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHA! PLOT! Also, thank you for reading this and leaving any kudos or comments they are greatly appreciated. (I'm posting this directly after the first chapter so really, I dont know if that's happened but I'll thank you anyway if you've gotten this far.)
> 
> Anyhoo, the plot thickens! Or really it actually appears because I haven't had much plot in the previous chapter but now you shall feel happy to see it.

In the morning there had been the usual unconscious checking of whether or not people were missing. Luckily they made through the night with no losses, but there were wolf prints in the light dusting of snow that fell that night.

The kids all scattered back to their parents. Mrs. Bennett taught the younger ones some reading later in the day when they all got together for their 'school' day. One would think that in a disaster situation like theirs, one wouldn't need to read. Jack loved reading however and encouraged his sister to learn as much as possible when Mrs. Bennett was teaching.

As for the older kids, they were given reading to study and interpret. There wasn't much they could learn anymore other than farm work and how to fend for themselves. So usually by the end of the school hours, the kids were begging North or Mr. Sandy to take them to the lake so they could ice skate. This wasn't the case today.

The lake wasn't all the way frozen over, not with the small snowfall they had so no one was allowed near the lake. Kids had gotten very close to drowning before.

So, whenever they weren't allowed to go to the lake, they'd bug the elders or play at the edge of the woods under the supervision of an adult. Jack would often climb a tree and keep look out just for his sister, even with his doubts. He liked the heights anyway.

He loved to hang upside down from the trees, scaring the kids into thinking he was in real danger. It was a mean trick but he loved playing with them. Teasing them and joking around with them was all he could really do for them. Who knew when the wolves would snatch up one for breakfast?

Jack made it his duty to watch over the kids and for that, the adults didn't bother with making him do any real job because to them, watching and protecting the kids was a real job. It was the only way he earned his keep in their small town. His pranks and so called ignorance to the monsters and the dangers was not welcomed.

He swayed slightly where he sat high up in the tree, watching his sister and her friends play with the snow and throw snowballs at each other. They joked and laughed with one another and he smiled, making a few snowballs from the snow caught in the trees and tossing them at random children. No one could figure who threw the snowballs so it was an endless circle of 'who threw that' and 'I'll get you''s.

Eventually the children's parents called them back to their homes for dinner and Jack went to go collect his sister, Emma. She was named after their mother for obvious reasons. Jack had insisted on the name when he was younger, when his sister was just a baby only a few days old. Their mother and father didn't want to name her until they met back up with North but Jack begged for a name all throughout their journey to Burgess and they wouldn't relent.

So, when Jack stumbled into the trapped village, he and North named her Emma because their mother had sacrificed herself to save her children.

Emma was a lot like their mother in the end. She cared about people just the same and she worried almost as much if not more. She was beautiful and grew to take on her mother's looks and with time, she would become the living incarnate of their mother.

Jack wondered if maybe their mother's spirit had latched onto his baby sister when he fled for safety.

"Come on, Em. North's going to be upset if we don't get back soon." Jack said to her after he'd climbed down from his bark-covered perch, the only other children still hanging around the area being Jamie and Sophie Bennett. Both children had an affinity for Jack like no other. They accepted him even with their parents being so wary towards his behavior and the worry of him becoming a bad influence on the kids.

Emma nodded her head to her brother in agreement, reaching out to take Sophie's hand so she could lead the little blond back as well. Jamie walked beside Jack, playing with Jack's staff-like stick when the elder allowed him to.

After a long silence, as they made their way back down the barren path in the snow, Jamie finally spoke. "Do you think we'll have enough food for the winter, Jack? I know you don't like talking about it with the other kids but I thought you'd understand if I asked." He inquired, curious to know his friend's opinion. He trusted Jack above all else. Jack was like his elder brother.

Jack shrugged. "I'm not sure." He answered truthfully. He'd seen the stores inside the barns and there was barely enough firewood chopped to keep their houses heated. North was one of their expert hunters but he spent most of the day chopping away fire wood so everyone could stay warm. Jack also knew with the most recent events of the early autumn, they had barely any animals to eat for meat and nearly nothing in storage. The wolves had been picking them off too often.

Emma gave Jamie a warning look not to ask any more questions but he ignored it. "So what about the wolves? Will they keep attacking?" Jamie asked, drawing a line along his side in the dirt with Jack's staff. Jack shrugged, looking towards the village as it got nearer.

"Probably. The pack is probably getting bigger which means they need more food. Besides, I thought you worried more about 'the beast'." Jack smirked at the end of his sentence, turning on Jamie. Everyone feared this monster no one had ever seen clearly.

Jamie frowned, pointing the stick towards the elder. "What do you mean 'the beast'? It's a monster hiding in the mountain range! You're the one who got attacked by it. Why don't you ever believe people when they talk about it?" He asked, slightly fed up with Jack's constant dodging the topic of the beast.

For a moment Jack frowned and he recovered when he took his staff back. "It's probably a really large bear or a deranged wolf. There isn't such a thing as monsters." Jack stated, unable to remember the fight he'd had with the beast when he was escaping with his own life.

Jamie shook his head, turning away from Jack, knowing that the elder wouldn't listen as always. "Well, I hope it doesn't come down to the village any time soon." He muttered as they stumbled into the very edge of the town. Determined to show Jack that he was wrong, he took his sister and drug her home to the Bennett residence in hopes that his silence might convince Jack otherwise.

Jack ignored it. He instead took his sister home as well, hoping that North wouldn't be there to question his obviously sour facial expression. Jack hated talking about the outcome of their small village and it seemed to be Jamie's favorite thing to talk about. The boy had taken on the responsibility of 'man of the house' in his home way too early and he didn't know how to deal with it right.

Emma didn't say anything to her brother as she shook her head and began fiddling around in the kitchen. She'd been the one to learn how to cook in the family, having had the help of Ms. Tooth. North and Jack couldn't cook to save their lives.

For a while Jack just sat down and read some books that North had lying around like he always did when they were at home. The sun was beginning to set behind the mountains like it always did, meaning they only had so long before the unspoken curfew came.

North still wasn't back yet when the lanterns went up. The entire town was lit in a soft glow of burning candles and lanterns out front. There was only about another hour before the wolves would start lurking around.

They didn't worry too much since North was a burly man and he often came home the latest of any men in the town but when they heard the commotion outside, Jack knew something was wrong. He looked up when he heard the clamor of voices and turned to his sister, putting his book down. "Emma, stay here and keep the doors locked until I come back." He ordered his little sister.

Emma nodded her head. "Be careful, Jack." She warned, walking over just in time to hand him his staff. The elder boy smiled back, reaching out to take his staff and ruffle her hair in one go. Emma blushed slightly before pushing him out the door in defiance.

Jack smirked at her reaction but continued out into the snow. He slipped past a few houses, only to stop on Main Street where there was a crowd of people, mostly adults aside from the small group of children trying to listen in on the outer edge of the formation.

He wandered over to the kids, spotting Jaime trying his best to but in on the other adults but he was being pushed back by his mother. Jack, spotting North farther in on the gathering went to Mrs. Bennett.

"What happened?" He asked, knowing the woman would talk to him. Mrs. Bennett turned, giving him a worried look before pulling him closer so that the children wouldn't hear. "A man wandered into the valley. He was pretty badly beaten up, probably by the beast. We're worried he might have been with company." She explained in a hushed tone and Jack stared, trying to get a look through the crowd of people.

Just as he contemplated trying to get to North, the crowd separated at the sound of howling. "Everyone inside! Quickly!" Ms. Tooth's voice echoed over the sounds of panic and frantic scrambling about. Jack looked up and down the street, not seeing any wolves yet.

Most of the villagers obeyed instantly. Mrs. Bennett picked up Jamie and looked towards Jack with concern. "Help North, he's got the man with him and please be safe." She said, having been one of the women in the town aside from Tooth not to think poorly of Jack.

Jack nodded his head, pushing through the mass of bodies now moving in opposite directions. He spotted North helping balance a rather delirious looking man. Jack didn't have time to look at him though, quickly running forward and balancing the man's other side. Behind them, Ms. Tooth fluttered about in worry, ushering people home.

"Nicholas, be careful and get that man inside. I'll come over as soon as I can to help." She said, taking a child into her arms who had been abandoned in the fray of the crowd. The parents of the child probably didn't even know the little boy had been left out.

North nodded his head, looking to Jack. The teen didn't even need words to understand what North wanted to say. He just nodded his head back and they quickly took the man towards their home, knowing he'd need a place to stay and recuperate and most others wouldn't let a man who'd faced the beast into their home for superstition of the monster coming back for them.

Jack was the one to pound on the door, they only having to wait in the brisk cold air for a few moments as the howling got closer. Emma pulled the door open, catching sight of the man and becoming utterly confused before she retreated inside, allowing them in as well.

North and Jack quickly went to go lay the man down on the bench they had set in front of the fire place. Emma, knowing at least a little medicinal information hurried forward and quickly went to look at the man's injuries.

Jack, now having a moment to study the guy, noticed he was not like the others in the town. He was freakishly tall, lanky, and had an almost grey tint to his skin color. His hair was an ashen black, pushed backwards and rather messy from what looked like a mixture of melted snow and blood. His features were rather angular and there was something about him that made him almost scary looking.

The man was dressed in all black clothing, nothing even remotely close to another color. He was intimidating. Jack didn't know if he wanted him in his home near his sister.

"Jack, could you prepare some hot water?" Emma asked, pulling Jack from his thoughts. The teen nodded his head, putting down his staff and running toward the kitchen for a bucket. He quickly filled it with some of the water from the barrels in the storage room branching off from the kitchen and ran back towards the fireplace, setting the bucket next to the flames so that it would heat up.

Emma was off getting rags and North was inspecting the marks on the man's shoulder and chest. He had been attacked, from both the front and behind but they didn't look like marks that would come from the wolves. These came from something bigger.

By the time they'd wrapped the man's injuries, he still hadn't regained consciousness. He must have been put out by the loss of blood. North opted to staying in the living room that night to watch over the man for when he'd wake up, telling his niece and nephew to retreat back to their room for the night with some bread to settle their stomachs.

Emma agreed, telling North to get her if anything went wrong. North smiled and nodded, knowing the little girl cared too much for her young age. Jack gave his sister an odd look, surprised by her willingness to help such a disturbingly creepy guy but otherwise did nothing else in response. He ushered his sister to their shared room and they settled down for the night rather quickly.

They fell asleep to the sounds of howling and maybe even once Jack might have heard a loud, angry roar.

-o-o-o-THE NEXT MORNING-o-o-o-

Jack woke the next morning to find his sister had already gotten up. He tried not to think much of it, completely forgetting the man in their living room as he made to get up and go help her with whatever little breakfast they'd have that morning.

He was surprised to smell meat cooking and flinched at the sight of the injured man from before awake and sitting up on the bench they'd laid him down at the previous night.

Jack was confused for a few moments until he remembered the events of that night, the crowd in the street and the wolves coming, along with the man who'd been attacked by the 'beast'. Jack tried not to remember the beast ever being involved but his mind seemed to echo the roar he might have heard that night.

He would have gladly retreated back to his room to pass out for another few hours but both North and this new man spotted him instantly. "Jackson!" North smiled. Standing up, the uncle walked over to his nephew and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, ushering him towards the new guest in their home.

Jack nodded his head towards the angular man, noticing that the bleeding had stopped on his wounds. It was almost like he'd never been hurt except for the visible cut marks. "My apologies for imposing, my name is Kozmotis Pitchiner." He greeted, leaning forward with a minor wince to shake Jack's hand. He was smirking almost, which disturbed the teen.

"Uh…it's no problem. I'm Jackson." Jack replied, shaking the rough hand once before letting go and backing up. He looked towards the kitchen to see that his sister wasn't there. "Where's Emma?" He asked, turning towards North.

North waved him off. "Went to see Tooth." He said as if there wasn't anything to worry about but Jack paled at the idea. His sister had gone practically nowhere without him. Jack couldn't think of leaving her alone, not after almost losing her along with his parents.

"I'll go meet her." Jack offered, going to pick up his staff and pull on his cloak. North shook his head again. "She will be fine! Come, help make breakfast." The man spoke with a smile. His foreign accent showed in his words, reminding Jack of his mother. It was almost always why he couldn't spend a lot of time with North.

Jack shook his head, frowning. He wanted to go see his sister, make sure she was okay. It was still early. The wolves could be out.

"I'm sure your sister will be fine, Jackson." Pitchiner added from Jack's right. He really didn't want to be listening to some stranger invading their personal space but he knew he couldn't turn down the both of them and agreed, wandering back over and looking at the food that North had been preparing. It was obvious Emma had started it off, seeing as North couldn't make anything nearly as extravagant as a batch of burnt cookies or juicy meat. Jack did have to admit he could cook meat.

Jack ignored the mouthwatering scent of pork cooking and tried not to become agitated at the lack of his sister being in his sight. "Jack fought beast as well. Very young at time, but fought valiantly." North began speaking to break the awkward silence.

Pitchiner looked towards North in surprise but something about it seemed faux. "Really?" Pitchiner implored. Jack glanced up, slightly spiteful towards North for bringing it up.

"Defended his infant sister as well!" North beamed, having always been proud of Jack for such a feat. Not everyone could say their nephew had taken on some unknown creature in the mountains just to protect his little sister.

Jack scowled even more, watching as Pitchiner gave him a contemplative look. Pitchiner was smiling again, that creepy smug smile.

"That's quite amazing. What happened to his parents?" Pitchiner questioned, causing Jack to finally speak. "They died trying to protect my sister and I." He grumbled, glaring out the window and watching for his little sister. Emma couldn't be out alone like that. She was too young and she didn't know how to defend herself.

Pitchiner gave him another odd look before nodding. "It's a surprise I made it away as well. I guess we have something in common, don't we Jack?" He smiled, his eyes showing some odd thoughts that Jack couldn't place.

"It's Jackson." He replied, knowing that he didn't like to be called by his full name but Pitchiner had no right to be getting comfortable and calling him by his nickname. What had Pitchiner done for Jack and his family? Nothing.

North gave Jack a warning look, knowing that his nephew was being rather defiant for several reasons. Jack couldn't go see his sister and he had to allow some stranger into his home. If there was anything Jack disliked more than the talk about the beast, it was strangers.

"I'm going to visit the Bennetts." Jack stated, standing up from his chair and grabbing his cloak and staff quicker than anyone. North could entertain Pitchiner all he wanted, Jack wasn't going to stick around.

Jack walked out, noticing the newly fallen snow and began counting the number of wolf tracks. He didn't really want to see Jamie after such an event as last night but he needed someone to talk to and Jamie was his friend above everything else, even if he was a believer in things like big foot and monsters.

Jackson didn't have to walk far before he spotted Jamie. The boy was outside with several of the other kids, all crowding around one spot. Jack didn't know what was going on until he stopped beside them, towering over their small forms to look down at what they were all staring at.

A large footprint was in the snow, blood staining the area where the claws had pressed into the white crystals. It was much larger than any wolf print and it didn't resemble anything Jack had seen before…except maybe a rabbit if Jack focused hard enough.

"See! I told you it was real!" Jamie said the moment he spotted Jack, pointing down at the mark in the snow. Jack shook his head, frowning. "I never said I didn't believe you, Jamie. I said monsters didn't exist." He corrected the kid, leaning against his staff.

Jamie frowned at his loss of a victory and looked back down at the print. "You insinuated it." He grumbled as he crossed his arms. Jamie was the laughing stock of most of the kids for the ridiculous things he believed in.

Jack didn't find it funny though, he knew Jamie had his heart in the right place.

The group all stared downwards until Emma and Tooth were seen walking down the path. The kids instantly scattered from their places, leaving Jamie and Jack to stare down at the footprint. "Look!" Jamie said, trying to get Emma's attention but the girl only shook her head and smiled. "What is it, Jamie?" Emma asked, walking over and staring at the snow.

Tooth followed closely behind her, a hand resting on Emma's shoulder. "Jamie, I thought you'd know better than to scare people by making more footprints." Ms. Tooth said as she stared down at the mark in the snow.

Jack smirked at the thought. Jamie was often accused of such things like faking evidence.

"It's not fake! It's real! We found it this morning!" Jamie defended instantly, obviously upset. Emma looked at him, believing him but unsure whether she should voice it. She gave him an honest look, probably telling him silently to stop before he got into trouble and was made fun of by the other kids. She always tried to act as the voice of reason.

Jamie frowned when he knew Tooth wouldn't believe him and shook his head. "I'm going home." He muttered, stalking off to retreat back to his mother and sister.

Tooth, Emma, and Jack watched him go and they all sighed. "Well, time to go check on the new arrival." Tooth eventually said, ushering the children past the bloody print and towards their home. Upon getting to the place, Tooth instantly went to go check on Pitchiner and introduce herself. Jack was disgusted at such an action since he really wasn't taken by this guy but he remained silent.

Emma smacked him in the shoulder for the face he was making, though.

"How did you come across the monster?" Tooth asked, sitting down in one of the chairs in their living room area. Emma went to sit down as well, knowing that she wanted to hear the story. Jack wasn't sure if he wanted to rip his ears off or drown himself in one of the water barrels as he was forced to listen to them talk about it.

Pitchiner smiled at Tooth's question. "I'm a traveler. I was just passing through the town north of here when I saw your town on an old map and decided to come through here. I hadn't known about the wolves and the beast living in the mountain so I was attacked on my way here." He explained. Meanwhile, Jack dished out food for himself and his family.

When North gave him a look for not getting food for Pitchiner, he obeyed and got one for the man as well.

"What did it look like?" Emma asked, probably knowing that Jamie would have asked the same thing. Pitchiner smiled at her question as well. "It's a great furry beast with large ears and dark grey fur. It's the most crazed looking thing I've ever had the chance to see." He responded.

Jack frowned and shook his head. "I've seen worse." He muttered under his breath and luckily no one had heard him aside from Emma who once again, smacked him on the shoulder. Jack gave her a look and she returned it with one of annoyance and he rolled his eyes and obeyed.

Tooth and North, oblivious to the interaction going on between the siblings seemed happy with the new man in their town. "Well, welcome to Burgess, Mr. Pitchiner." Tooth said with a grin.

Pitchiner looked back at her and nodded. "Just call me Pitch."


	3. Attack on Burgess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Attack on Burgess. yes. I totally didn't rip off Attack on Titan. XD

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys like this chapter because ughhhh I don't. But that's because I could be writing more interesting things and I seriously didn't know how things were gonna end up happening with this one. Really hard to connect the dots for me. Anyway, more glimpses at Bunny and Pitch is a CREEP.
> 
> On the other hand, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE KUDOS. It means a lot to me. This story is something I really want people to enjoy.

It had been several days after Pitch had shown up and the wolves were coming down even around sunset. They'd lost two more pigs and one of the cattle during those nights and people were beginning to fear what was going on. Jack didn't like to stay around, so he took his sister to friend's houses and tried to avoid Pitch and his awkward stares. The man was beginning to get a little bit creepier by the day.

Jack had spent the better half of his day out walking towards the lake. Emma had went to spend time with the Bennetts and Jack trusted Jamie to watch over his sister while he was gone. He just needed time to cool his head and Emma wouldn't quite help with that.

He sighed, walking down the path he knew so well. Of any places, the lake was often his favorite to spend time at. The people of the village rarely ever ventured out so far and usually it was only the kids or a few select parents that Jack didn't have any qualms with. North had shown him the place when he was younger and from then on he felt connected to it somehow.

He knew it was dangerous to be out alone but it was daytime and the wolves didn't hunt during the day.

The snow had begun to pile higher and his feet stung with each step into the white fluff. Jack had never been one to wear shoes. He liked to feel the earth under his feet, almost like he were connected with it as well.

Jack didn't know what to think as he spotted the frozen edges of the lake. He didn't know if he should worry about their lack of supplies going into the winter or how the weather kept getting worse. He didn't know if he should worry about the man now imposing on their village or his sister and her seemingly close relationship with Jamie. Worst of all, he didn't know how long it would be before another person was taken by the wolves, and more families would be torn apart.

There seemed to be too many things to concern himself with and the list kept growing. Something in the back of his mind reminded him of Pitch's smile, the slyness of it. He had a feeling the man was lying but he couldn't yet tell about what.

Jack tried not to let the image of the man's smug look on his face return to his mind as he sat down at the water's edge and poked at the ice with his staff. It seemed to be rather solid, which was odd, considering the air didn't seem too cold. It was probably just Jack's proneness to being insensitive to cold. It never seemed to bother him as much.

He felt like memories were coming back to him each day, bit by bit. His mind was unraveling the memories he'd stuffed away under lock and key in the back of his mind. He'd never wanted to remember the incident with his parents but he kept having thoughts about it.

Jack was always prone to having nightmares about blood and abductions, almost always centering on his sister and the kids in town. Most of the times he'd hear screaming in his dreams, and almost always those screams were the real screams as someone had been abducted that night.

He tried not to let that haunt him too much. He already had enough trouble seeing his mother's face in his dreams.

Jack was alone for a few hours as the sun began to descend in the sky. It wasn't yet sunset but it was getting close and he knew he had a short amount of time before the wolves would be prowling about. The lake was pretty far from the town, so his screaming wouldn't be easily heard.

He stood, stretching his limbs after sitting for so long and got ready to move through the trees to the path again but something caught his eye.

He turned, eyes settling on the darkness at the other side of the lake. He squinted, almost thinking he saw something as he leaned forward slightly, propping himself up with his staff. "What in the…" He muttered, taking a step forward and unconsciously stepping on the lake's ice. He flinched the moment his foot made contact, watching as the ice cracked.

His eyes shot downward for a moment before he looked up, spotting the eyes watching him and hearing a low growl. At the same time he glanced behind him, hearing howling as the wolves awoke early. Jack jumped back from the lake, instantly running through the trees and ignoring the thing he'd seen on the other side of the lake.

The tall trunks of age old trees disappeared in his vision as fast as they came. The only thing on his mind was getting back and warning everyone the wolves were out and protecting his sister.

His bare feet were scraped from the snow as he finally reached the village's edge. He spotted North, Sandy, and Pitch walking around with Tooth leading them. They had to be showing Pitch around. North and Tooth instantly turned when they saw him, blinking in confusion at his disheveled appearance.

Jack dashed down the last of the street, meeting North halfway. "Wolves…" He breathed, heaving in a deep breath. "They're out." He said, looking behind him towards the woods. If the wolves were already up then they only had a short while before they attacked.

North instantly looked up as well, turning to the others. "Warn villagers! Wolf pack is coming!" He yelled before turning back to Jack. "Help get animals inside. I will fight if needed." North told him, confusing Jack greatly.

"Fight? We have enough time before they get here. Get inside with the others!" Jack yelled but the burly man didn't listen as he marched back to their home to retrieve his weapons. Jack shook his head, looking to the others as they began shuffling about. Pitch was standing in the middle of it all, a content look on his face until he met gazes with Jack.

The tall man looked towards him, stepping forward as if he hadn't just been smiling about the whole ordeal. "Is there anything I can do?" The man asked, his voice sending shivers down Jack's spine. "Just get inside." Jack ordered, pushing past the stranger as he went to go see the Bennetts.

Jack found it odd that the wolves were out so early. They shouldn't have been out until the moon came up but they were already on the prowl, moving about in the forest and creating panic within Burgess.

He was just about to turn down an alley when he noticed Pitch behind him, following him. "I can help you, Jack." The man said, obviously trying to get on Jack's nerves. "It's Jackson!" The angry teen yelled, turning around and giving Pitch a nasty look. "Just go back to the house and make sure all the windows and doors are locked." Jack added, pointing at Pitch as if it'd make the man turn.

The stranger didn't relent but they were both stopped when they exited the alley between the two buildings and spotted the several wolves standing at the edge of the town.

Jack halted immediately, eyes wide in fear as he stared at the thing. He hadn't seen any of the wolves close up in a long time, having had similar run ins with them several years back when he'd been in the forest. Jack had been lucky enough to climb a tree fast enough that the wolf didn't want him anymore but this wasn't the case.

Previously, the wolves had been greyer than anything. They were a lighter color, but now they had almost black fur as they stood menacingly at the edges of the town, ready to attack. They were bigger, more feral. Something about their new hair color reminded Jack of Pitch but he couldn't build on that thought as the eyes of the beast seemingly caught with his.

Icy blue met with menacing black and for the moment, time stopped.

Jack didn't dare pull his gaze from the wolf but he was forced to when he heard a scream. "Jack!" His sister shouted from across the street, instantly drawing the wolf's attention. "Emma!" Jack shouted back, his face going pale as he broke for a run across the street.

She was standing there, tears welling up in her beautiful green eyes.

His heart was beating like thunder in his chest and he held his breath in his throat as he waited for the wolf to make a move. It seemed to look back to him before moving towards her, walking first and then picking up its pace as it began to run forwards.

Jack was across the street in seconds, his feet carrying him across the dirt and stone road as he dashed towards her. It was a race and somehow, Jack had reached her first. He dove forwards, crouching down and holding her against his chest as they both waited for the teeth and claws to come.

When it didn't, they knew something had happened. Both turned, Jack standing up and holding his sister in his arms tightly. In front of them was North, ancient swords drawn and being held towards the wolf. He had the thing cornered as he had jumped on it, wrestling it to the ground and having enough time to stab it in the side.

"Run!" North's booming voice shouted and Jack finally remembered what was happening. He moved as quickly as he could, cradling his sister towards himself as he made for the alleyway to get back to North's home. Jack didn't have enough time to make sense of Pitch's angered face as he pushed past the man and made it to the other street.

Jack and Emma didn't make it far before Tooth and Sandy pulled them into Tooth's home.

"Jack! Oh please tell me you're alright!" Tooth's concerned voice echoed through the room as she pulled both children into her arms and hugged them tightly. "It's a miracle you're still alive." She said, tears evident in her tone as she practically sobbed over them.

Jack nodded his head. "We're fine, don't worry. North's still out there." Jack responded, obviously concerned for his surrogate father. He wanted to make sure the man was okay, help him fight. He didn't have much time to do so when the door opened again to North, covered in wolf blood, and Pitch.

Tooth instantly went to North, concern practically dripping off her features. "What is wrong with you? You could have been killed!" She yelled, looking him over for injuries. There was nothing but a few minor scratches that could be easily dealt with.

North chuckled, shaking his head. "Would not be me but Jack and Emma that die." He responded, looking towards his children as Emma pushed past everyone to hug North. Tears were now streaming down her face endlessly as she practically sobbed into the man's clothing, completely disregarding the blood covering him.

Jack smiled, nodding his head. "Thanks." He said, catching a look from Tooth as the woman realized that the kids had nearly been killed. "What?" She spoke frantically, the volume of her voice rising as she tried to process that thought.

North only laughed, along with Jack as he picked up Emma and hugged her closely. Sandy took Tooth's hand, holding it to get her to calm down but the woman still fumed.

Yet, with all the happiness for Jack and Emma being alive, the problem still stood.

"Why are the wolves here so early?" Jack asked, looking between the others. North shook his head as they all moved to sit down at Tooth's table. "They shouldn't be out for another few hours." Tooth added, still hovering around Emma and Jack to check if they were okay. She also moved to see if Pitch had done anything to his previous injuries, mysteriously they were healing much quicker than anyone would have predicted.

North set his swords down on the table after having wiped the blood off. Emma reached to poke at one but Jack and Tooth both beat her to it, Jack grabbing his sister's hand and Tooth placing the swords down elsewhere.

They all thought on the matter, Sandy occasionally making a few gestures with his hands. Jack tried not to notice the scars on the side of his throat. Everyone knew Sandy had been attacked by a lone wolf a few years back. The thing had managed to tear his vocal chords, but the man didn't let it get to him. Instead he handled it fine, covered up the scars, and made motions with his hands with the occasional mouthing of words.

"Have they always been coming to the village?" Pitch asked, finally calling attention to himself. He'd been otherwise silent, trying not to intrude or at least observing.

North shook his head and Tooth spoke. "Not always. They would attack travelers in the woods and mainly stick to the trees but a few years after Emma was born they began attacking the village more, and soon every night." She said in a solemn tone. They had lost so many to the wolves over the past half a decade.

Jack looked up, realizing something when he heard Pitch speak. "They didn't come this early until you showed up." He spoke in an almost accusatory tone. Pitch blinked, leaning back at the thought while the rest of the room shot glares at Jack.

"Jackson, apologize." Tooth reprimanded but Jack only looked the other way. "It's true!" He defended.

Pitch seemed to be smiling at that point. "No, he is right. It's an odd coincidence. I wouldn't blame him for pointing it out." He said, obviously trying to help Jack in some sort of twisted way. Jack didn't trust him and he thought everything he did was in some greater scheme to kill everyone and their cousin for no good reason at all.

"Still, Pitch, not good for you to be blamed." North stated and Jack groaned, getting up and leaving the table. He was done with the conversation. He wanted to go home, throw himself down on his bed and lay there until the guy left.

Pitch's eyes followed him as he rose, watching him disappear off towards some unknown destination in the house. Jack didn't know where he was going but he ended up in Tooth's store room, fiddling around with some of the fire wood. There wasn't much there, nor was there much food.

He tried not to think of how little Tooth had in preparation for the winter but knew North and his sister would gladly make room for her in their home as they had in many previous winters.

His mind wandered back to the sight of whatever was across the lake from him earlier. It didn't seem like a wolf and he'd only just barely gotten glimpses of it, mostly just its eyes, which he felt as though he'd seen before. Those eyes were a piercing green, something he recognized as all too different from any animal. They were almost human.

His thoughts were interrupted as North came to sit down with him. The blood on the man's clothes had dried and he looked more concerned about Jack than anything. Jack was his family, his sister's son, and he felt as though he had to help him all he could.

Both Jack and North shared a quality that man of the other adults had felt as well. They'd seen the outside world, the life it was like to live outside of fear and pain. For Emma to have been growing up with no knowledge of a place any safer than Burgess, they both felt guilt as though they could have done something.

"Jack." North said as he sat down beside his 'son'. The man had never officially called Jack that, seeing as he felt he didn't have a right when Jack's own father was far more of a father in his time. Jack often tried to tell him that he was a great father and an even better uncle, but that was all he was. North was an uncle that had placed himself as the caretaker of two homeless children.

North never invaded on Jack's privacy or ordered him around. He let the boy live on his own and do what he needed. Jack helped the town's people and protected the children. He tried to help North with his hunting but it wasn't in his spirit. The best he could do was watch out for wolves, keep track of the children, and read constantly.

Jack felt like he had no place. Maybe he still had to find one.

The boy looked up to his uncle, his mind revolving around that fact. Jack was well aware that the most he ever did was protect the children. "Am I going to be like this forever? There's nothing I can do for everyone and they don't like me anyway." He asked, insecurities showing.

North shook his head, gaze softening. "No, no, Jack is big help already. Maybe become teacher? You love reading." He suggested, patting his surrogate son on the shoulders.

Jack only shook his head. "It doesn't feel right." He mumbled, clutching his staff tightly with both hands as he stared at the ground. "I feel like I don't belong." He admitted, glancing through the doorway towards his sister who was laughing and playing with Sandy's hair.

It seemed the wolves had retreated, allowing people to speak a bit louder and enjoy themselves.

North frowned at Jack's words, looking towards Emma as well. "You will find way. Whatever way it is." The man smiled, patting Jack on the head and standing up. "Come, Tooth is making food." He said, pulling his nephew through the doorway.

Jack smiled and nodded. Maybe he would find his way.

-o-

The night passed by rather quickly after they ate. For a while Sandy and North made jokes without really saying much to each other. Jack read to Emma for a little while until the girl fell asleep in his arms and he went to tuck her away in Tooth's bed.

Within a few hours North and Sandy were passed out and Tooth had gone back to her room to share her bed with Emma. The only one still awake aside from Jack was Pitch. The man was sitting at the dinner table, watching everyone with dark eyes. Jack knew this was the best time to question the man since everyone else was knocked out.

Jack bravely stood up from his cot on the floor, getting up to go sit down at the dinner table across from Pitch. He didn't know what he was aiming to do, but he didn't like the look that Pitch was giving everyone's sleeping forms.

"Where did you really come from?" Jack asked, looking at the man as he turned to look at Jack with another one of his insufferable smirks.

Pitch only leaned forward. "Does it matter?" He asked, leaning his elbows on the table and watching Jack closely. "You seem to realize that I'm not who I say I am." Pitch stated, making Jack flinch slightly. A creepy grin spread across Pitch's face at Jack's fear.

"Why did the beast attack you?" Jack asked, gaze narrowing. Pitch almost laughed at that. "It was angry, naturally. The thing is a brutal monster. It killed your mother and father didn't it? Didn't it almost kill you?" Pitch commented, his voice sending shivers down Jack's spine.

Jack looked away instantly. His mother and father's faces flashed across the forefront of his mind. "I don't believe in monsters." He said, contradicting his earlier statement.

Pitch smirked. "Yet you still bother to ask why it attacked me? You're a funny boy Jack-, and don't think of me calling you anything different. Your name may be Jackson but everyone here calls you Jack, don't they?" Pitch responded, his facial expression going slightly sour when Jack looked as though he might correct him.

Jack refused to meet Pitch's gaze. "If there is a monster, what is it?"

"A cursed being." Pitch responded, standing up from the table. He went to move past Jack, his hand ruffling Jack's hair as he went. "You're a smart boy, Jack. You'll understand eventually. Maybe it has to do with the so called path you'll follow." The man added, retreating from their conversation.

Jack didn't understand what that meant for the life of him and spent several minutes just trying to fix his hair and rid himself from the rough feeling that Pitch's hands seemed to give him.


	4. Return to the Lake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack has a little show down with a wolf and this time there is casualties.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHAHA! Ok I realize Jack Frost's eyeballs are brown before the ice and thats technically which version I'm writing but for reasons they are blue. I mean biologically there are so many things I'll accept.
> 
> ALSO! As for Dark!Bunny! He was partially inspired by many different takes on dark!Bunny (I highly suggest you guys check out Pooka-Curse on tumblr this is right up his alley). Anyway, that means he's much less humanoid and more rabbit. He's still large and can still stand bipedal but it takes effort. This Bunny has sort of receded from all humanistic qualities he ever had. :3
> 
> And finally thank you all for the kudos and comments, I love you guys. You make my day.

After that night, Jack and Pitch hadn't really spoken nor had Jack wanted them to. He avoided the man like the plague, much more than he had been doing before. He often kept his sister away by once again, busying her with the Bennett family. Emma didn't mind so much, she loved Sophie and Jamie but she had picked up on Jack's apparent wariness towards Pitch.

Emma never commented on it, seeing as her brother was her closest family member and his decisions had saved her life before. Jack loved his sister and would aim never to do anything extremely hurtful to her.

Jamie seemed to enjoy the attention from Emma, often blushing whenever they were together and making Jack regret ever pushing her so close to the boy. Jack did treat Jamie like family, but he was worse than a teenage girl's father when a boy asked to court his daughter. Jack was the possessive big brother.

Over the days and nights, the wolves did seem to prowl around more often but after losing the one wolf to North's swords, they attacked less. Most everyone stayed inside for majority of their days and with time the wolves retreated to the forests and only came out at night once more. It was a relief for the wolves to be holding back again.

Winter had rolled in with the wolves backing off and their first real snow storm hit. It was a deadly reminder that firewood and food was lacking but the people couldn't do much for that fact. Yet, it did mean one thing for the children, ice skating.

Jack was always the designated guardian when the kids wanted to go ice skating and while the wolves were being more and more unpredictable, Jack had insisted that he could watch over the kids.

Now standing in front of the crowd of ice-happy children, Jack doubted his abilities. One boy for around eight kids? That was going to be difficult. None the less, Jack led the kids with their ice skates out to the lake, following the path on the edge of the forest until they reached the bend where they would have to go through the woods for a few minutes to reach the lake.

The kids all chattered excitedly, laughing and ignoring the fact that wolves lived in the woods. Jack admired their ignorance.

"Let me test the ice, guys!" Jack reminded when they finally reached the edge of the water. The kids all groaned and nodded their heads, waiting impatiently as the boy ventured out onto the ice with his staff. He prodded and poked at the ice, taking note of its thickness. The only place it seemed a little wobbly was at the middle, towards the back.

Jack ignored it, turning towards the kids and smiling. "Alright guys. Don't skate over here and you should be fine!" He said and in moments the air was full of children's cheering. They all dropped to the ground, hurrying to get their skates on so they could slide around on the frozen water.

"Hey Jack! What if I tried ice fishing!" Caleb called from where his brother and he had brought fishing poles. Jack shook his head, walking over and stopping them from any such ideas. "No, guys that means you have to drill a hole in the ice and that'll create cracks." He reminded them to which they both responded with dejected looks and nodded their heads.

In a few minutes there were tons of children skating around on the ice, laughing and throwing snowballs. Jack smiled as he watched them, leaning on his staff. With care, he made his way across the lake towards the darker side where there were large boulders. He had seen the green eyes over here, and he thought he might as well investigate a little.

The kids ignored him, playing around with each other as he dug around in the snow for any signs of animals living near the rocks. There wasn't much of anything but a few undefinable half-prints in the ground and snow. Jack shook his head. Whatever it was hadn't stopped by in a while.

He brushed it off, smiling and sitting down beside the rocks and boulders to watch the children as they played. They stayed like that for a few hours, everyone having brought their own lunches with them. Most children didn't have much to eat but Jack spared his food as always. Emma tried to do so as well but Jack urged her not to, knowing the girl gave her food away far too much.

After that they hung around for about another hour until Jack ushered the children to get back home. Reluctantly they pulled off their skis, some already showing the snifflings of a cold. Jack couldn't be the one to get blamed for letting someone get sick.

He smiled as they all moaned and groaned about the village being boring. His hand interlaced with Emma's and on his other side Jamie's. They all chattered happily about snow and simple things, rounding up the back of the group when suddenly someone screamed.

Jack instantly let go of the kids on either side of him, grabbing hold of his staff that Jack Emma had been holding and running forward to see what was happening. Then, in moments he spotted it.

A lone wolf was standing in the path, growling as it stared down at the group of kids it was blocking the way of. Jack went pale, eyes going wide as he spotted. Instantly he ran to the front of the group of children, holding his staff forwards to ward it off.

"Jamie, take the kids and get out of here! I'll distract it! Take the long way back!" Jack ordered, ignoring the cries of the children. If they could make it within reach of the village then someone could help them but Jack couldn't allow this wolf to get any of them. Who knew if there was any more of the pack around?

Jamie nodded his head from behind him, grabbing his sister's hand and reaching for Emma's but the girl shook her head, rushing forward to her brother. "Jack!" She yelled, latching her hands onto the back of his cloak and tugging on it. "You can't!"

The wolf watched, obviously not going to attack while the prey was mostly stationary. It was waiting.

Jack turned hallway around to face his sister. "I have to." He said, looking towards Jamie. In seconds the boy had already rushed forward and grabbed Emma's hand and begun pulling her away. "Come on! If we can get back quick enough we can get help!" Jamie tried to reason but Emma was already crying.

"Jack! Jack!" She called over and over again like a broken record but the other kids helped push her along as they went to take the other path.

The wolf looked at the others several times, obviously contemplating the smaller, easier to kill prey but Jack wouldn't let it. Jack waved his staff towards the monster of a canine, hitting it when it went to go follow the kids. The wolf immediately rounded on him, snarling and growling menacingly as it went to pounce.

Jack had jumped out of the way just in time, the fabric of his cloak being ripped as the wolf's teach made contact and latched on. He paid no mind, running as quickly as he could back to the lake so it'd be in the opposite direction of the kids.

His lungs burned from running so quickly but his adrenaline was pumping. Jack could hear more feet behind him and panicked, knowing that the rest of the pack had been lying in wait. Hopefully none went for the kids was all Jack could think off as he dodged claws and trees and hopped over fallen logs and bushes.

He didn't know what he planned to do once he reached the lake, knowing that he didn't really have much of a plan from the beginning other than lead the wolves away from the kids and Emma.

As one of his arms swung back mid run he felt an enormous shock as teeth dug in, biting into the skin and muscle. He yelled, vision whiting out in pain as he tripped forward, the teeth letting go just as he tumbled down until he slipped on something.

He only opened his eyes to see the ice of the lake below him. His vision was swimming and he could barely make sense of what was going on. He was scrambling to get any traction so he could get away. Maybe the wolves wouldn't come out onto the ice. Maybe he was safe.

He quickly realized he was wrong as a few began venturing out onto the frozen water. His mind screaming at him to run, failing to get a grip on the ice, he watched as one grey blur jumped across his vision and clashed with the others. Roaring sounded through the air.

He didn't have a moment to think about it or try to understand it before he realized on which part of the lake he had slid across to and only had enough time to take in a deep breath as he dropped through the ice and his body went horrifyingly cold.

-o-

Emma was frantic. Once she had broken free of Jamie's grip she had run as quickly as she could across the streets of the village until she saw where North usually cut down trees. She was sobbing, knowing for a fact she had seen the last of her brother. "N-North!" She called, stuttering as she finally made it to the burly man.

He turned, looking around just in time to see Emma's tears before she practically tackled him, tugging on the sleeve of his jacket and pulling him towards the path of the trees. "J-Jack! He's g-gonna die!" She cried, tears streaming down her face like waterfalls.

Jamie Bennett was North's only help in understanding as he ran up, heaving in his breaths. "A wolf stopped us on our way back." He heaved in a deep breath. "Jack distracted it as we got away." Jamie exhaled as he looked up to his friend's uncle. "We've gotta help him."

North nodded his head, putting Emma down and making sure she stayed with Jamie. He ran back to his home and dug out the swords again, informing several other villagers including Tooth and Sandy with Pitch following behind.

They only made it to the path in time to see the bloody trail from when Jack's arm had bitten and the skid marks across the ice leading to where it had broken through.

The only thing left behind was Jack's torn cloak, bloodied from his own wounds.

-o-

Jack's head was pounding. He remembered being surrounded by cold, wet darkness and being unable to breathe. He remembered being surrounded by warmth and taken away from the cold darkness but he didn't remember much else.

He just remembered the sensation of drowning.

When he opened his eyes he could barely see. His arm ached painfully and he could barely breathe. It felt like his body was half frozen, which if he could remember correctly, it had been. Being submerged in the water had done some damage, especially to his wolf bite.

"Crap…" He grumbled sitting up and trying to understand what was going on. His eyes scanned around him, taking in the sight of a cave-like hole. He hadn't seen anything like it before, seeing as he'd never gone farther than the lake in years. It was like a large rabbit hole with stones in several places, like it'd been carved out of a mountain. He had no idea how he'd gotten there or why he was there.

He looked down, noticing his skin was paler than before…much paler. "What the…" He grumbled, trying to move his bad arm only to wince and shake his head in pain. He curled into himself, seeing that he'd lost his cloak.

He was cold, still feeling the everlasting effects of the ice cold water. Jack tried standing but his legs kept shaking and he was forced to stay still. By the lighting in the cave-hole he knew it was nearing the end of sunset and he feared that maybe the wolves would come back for him.

Yet, maybe he was safe in the cave-like hole. Maybe there'd be no wolves to come get him.

Jack sat shivering for what seemed like forever, waiting until whatever had brought him there would return. Just when he was beginning to doze off again, a large creature stood at the mouth of the entrance. Jack flinched the moment he saw it, regretting it immediately when the bite ached in protest.

He stared, wide eyed and surprised as the hulking figure moved forward. It was dim lighting but Jack could still see the piercing green eyes he'd seen before. He instantly tried backing up, pushing himself away as the creature approached.

It was large and had grey-white fur. There were markings along the shoulders and back, even on the forehead in a darker grey. It had long ears and huge paws. Jack couldn't help but have flashbacks to his childhood. He couldn't remember before but now, now he remembered.

_Jack held his sister tightly in his arms, staring up as the creature that had attacked his mother and father came running after them on all four feet. It looked menacing and its fur was a dark grey, almost black. It's piercing green eyes looked crazed and wild as it was fueled by hunger._

_He couldn't run fast enough and soon tripped over his own feet, his sister crying in his arms. He screamed, flailing for whatever was closest that he could use as a weapon._

_The beast jumped on him, standing over him like a statue as it growled long and low at him. Jack could smell the scent of his mother and father's blood. The iron scent dripped from the creature like water would from the sky._

_Jack was shaking all the way down to his bones, staring up at the monster with great big blue eyes. Blue met green and for a moment the look in the creature changed, like it had regretted doing this. It was like some invisible force was pulled back, loosening its hold. The creature didn't have time to do much of anything in its moment of weakness before Jack punched it in the face, causing it to back off him._

_Jack was gone in moments, taking the nearest stick and waving it back at the monster as it tried to regain its senses. "Get away from me!" He yelled, cradling his sister's infant body closer with one arm before he ran again, faster than he ever was before._

Jack remembered that creature being darker, more evil. He hadn't thought its fur color would have lightened but it did. Yet that didn't change the fact that Jack was terrified through his bones. "Please…" He begged, using his one good arm to help him push away.

The beast didn't do anything, stepping away from Jack to the other side of the cave. Just in those moments the light passed through the opening of the cave-hole at just the right angle and Jack could see its face. It had no intentions to hurt him but it was most definitely the same monster.

"…what are you…?" He muttered, staring at the form of the thing. It looked almost like an extremely enlarged rabbit with almost humanoid characteristics. The markings on its fur looked almost tribal, like they were from nature. It was surprising.

The creature didn't respond and Jack didn't think it would. He instead shook his head, looking towards his wound once more and inspecting to make sure it wasn't frost bitten.

Jack lifted away the tattered remains of his shirt sleeve and pulled at the skin slightly. It was still bleeding and there was only a little odd discoloration. Jack was still okay. He'd probably make it if he kept the wound warm and uninfected.

At the same time, Jack noticed something different. He'd always had messy hair and it liked to get in his face but he hadn't thought it'd change color. He blinked, lifting his head and staring at the strands confusedly. "…what the…" He muttered, running his hands through his hair before plucking out a few strands and inspecting it.

It was increasingly cold, slightly wet, and obviously not the same chocolate brown it used to be. It was now stark white like the snow he loved to play in.

"How in the world…" He grumbled as he noticed his entire body seemed to have taken a pale tint. At the same time as he inspected his apparent new features, the creature lay on the other side of the burrow as Jack now named it, seeing as it was a rabbit hole, and it stared at him.

For a while Jack ignored it, trying not to feel the stare of the green eyes on his body as he moved to look at his wound again. He didn't have anything clean to wrap it with or to stop the bleeding which annoyed him. He also didn't have any food or a blanket to keep warm.

"…so, how long am I staying here?" He eventually asked the giant rabbit that was perfectly content with staring him down. It didn't respond but did stand up, moving over and lying down much closer to Jack. The boy huffed, scooting farther away when it inched closer.

He didn't like this situation. He could very easily get back home but he thought it might be safer waiting it out until the wolves went away. Besides, his arm was starting to lose feeling and he didn't think that was a good thing.

"You don't even understand a word I'm saying do you?" Jack asked, looking towards the rabbit. At that, the thing lifted his head and shook it.

Jack blinked in surprise. "No you do understand?" He asked, staring incredulously. Why the hell was he spending time with this brute anyway? This thing had killed his parents, kidnapped him, and killed hundreds of other villagers over the years. Who knew what else it could do. But at the same time, the thing had just saved his life and rescued him from both drowning and the wolves.

The thing nodded its head once, ears perking. Jack frowned. So it did understand English. Well, that was sort of a surprise and sort of a good thing. But it also didn't speak so he couldn't really get anywhere farther than yes or no questions.

"…Can I leave?" He asked, looking towards the beast. It looked as though in thought for a while before shaking its head. Jack frowned at that as well. "Well I guess it's no use to ask why…" He muttered to himself, wishing he had better company.

The over-sized carrot eater inched closer, nudging its head against Jack's injury. Jack looked down, confused for a moment before realizing that the thing must have wanted him to heal first.

"You don't have any medicine here." Jack said, knowing that the village didn't have much either but they had something and there was definitely going to be some issues with Jack's wolf bite. Whether infection or frostbite.

The creature didn't nod his head or shake it or anything. He just nuzzled closer to Jack, making the boy go completely stiff as he practically curled around him. When Jack tried to avoid leaning back into the soft pillow of grey fur, it nudged him back itself and moved to look at his arm.

Jack tried to protest but the creature was already licking the wound like any animal would. Okay, not what Jack was expecting to have happen. Not in the very least.


	5. Questions Unanswered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack and Bunny get cozy in the bunny den, and someone makes an unexpected visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aha! Within two days (ish its kinda midnight and a half right now so not technically). Anyway, this chapter is cute and stuff in the beginning then it gets all plotsy. Hehehe, you shall see. Anyway, for people wondering about Bunny's seemingly speech impediment? It shall be solved. In some way. Soon. 
> 
> On the other hand, Jack will be returning to Burgess in the next chapter! :D But, the bad news is that said chapter may take me up to 3/4 days because I'm busy this weekend so enjoy the second longest chapter of the story!

Jack groaned as he woke up for the second time in the beast's burrow. There was a fluffy warmth surrounding him and the pain in his arm had lessened. When he finally opened his eyes, he noticed that he was being held to the creature's chest, his forepaws wrapped around Jack and pulling him close.

It was almost like the thing was human behind those big rabbit eyes. Yet, Jack didn't know if he was human-like because that was the only thing the behavior could be compared to or if it was because Jack thought the creature might have been human before.

He doubted it.

Jack moved slightly, taking in the appearance of the giant rabbit now that he had the direct sunlight shining in on the cave. All Jack could think of was the warmth that the thing was emanating, and he wondered why it was so comforting. It was almost like he was being hugged by the warmth of spring itself.

After a few more minutes the creature shifted, opening its eyes and looking down at Jack's. Blue met green for probably the third time in their lifetimes and Jack knew once more that he was safe. But still, questions rose.

He glanced towards the entrance of the cave, wondering whether or not he could leave. "…where are we?" He asked, wanting to know just how far he'd been taken from Burgess. He forgot that the rabbit couldn't speak until the thing stood up on its four paws before sitting back down again, drawing in the dirt of the cave with one claw.

A picture formed slowly, revealing the mountain range, the valley, the town, and the trees. Jack watched as the creature placed an X in the middle of the mountain range before almost pointing towards the village.

Jack knew he couldn't make that distance very easily. "…damn…" He muttered, looking back towards the large rabbit. "How am I supposed to get home?" He asked, now knowing that the creature could at least communicate through pictures.

Unfortunately it only shook its head. "No?" Jack asked incredulously, staring at the thing. "I get it, you had to save me but now I'm okay. I can go back home now. They'll think I'm dead." Jack spoke, frustrated. He knew what his sister had to be thinking and he was not okay with that. She'd already lost the rest of her family.

Again, the rabbit shook its head no. Jack groaned, getting up and walking around the burrow for a few laps while the creature watched him. "What about food?" He asked, crossing his arms. He was really tired of communicating with a giant monster-sized bunny.

That's when it hit him. He didn't know what to call this thing. He turned around from where he'd had his back facing the rabbit. "What do I even call you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

The rabbit almost smiled at that fact. Maybe it was because Jack cared to learn the creature's name.

The two stared at each other long and hard before Jack realized there was no way he'd know the thing's real name, or if it had one. So, with whatever creative skills he could muster, he made it up himself. "Alright, Bunny, I need food and I don't know exactly…what you eat. Plus, it's winter." Jack said, staring at the rabbit as it listened attentively.

Jack turned around to pick up his staff, standing at full height for about two seconds as he contemplated what they could do for food. Then he felt himself get knocked off his feet, sliding backwards and grabbing onto whatever he could.

He didn't understand what was going on until he was sat on the back of the rabbit, like a rider on his horse, his hands digging ferociously into the fur on the creature's back. Jack blinked in confusion as the rabbit turned to look over its shoulder at him as if to check if Jack was alright.

Then it began moving.

"B-Bunny!" Jack yelled but they were already running out of the burrow-cave. The rabbit was dashing headlong down the mountain, displaying both speed and agility as it dodged trees, jumped over large rocks, and otherwise managed to keep Jack on his back.

That didn't mean Jack was enjoying it all that much. He was holding on for dear life and after finding that sitting upright didn't help with the wind now blowing in his face, he leaned forward with him to create fewer things for the air to catch on as they sped down the mountain.

"Bunny, slow down, you're giving me whiplash!" Jack called but didn't think the rabbit could hear him even with the large, sensitive ears. The wind was pounding against them but the creature did seem to hear him and obey. Jack smiled slightly at that.

They had reached the bottom of the mountain in no time and from there they followed the same beaten path that Jack had taken with his sister. It brought back odd memories and his grip on Bunny's fur tightened with the thought of it.

The mountains loomed over them and a light snow fell from the air. The cold air bit at Jack's skin, especially the wound he'd taken in order to protect his sister. Jack hoped she was alright. If any wolves had touched her then he swore he'd hunt down every one in the pack and slaughter them with North's swords if he had to.

Hopefully she was safe and sound with the Bennetts. Emma always loved spending time with Sophie and Jamie. Come to think of it, Sophie loved rabbits. She'd probably be laughing excitedly if she saw Jack riding a giant grey fuzzball that largely resembled one.

Jack didn't know where the rabbit was taking him until they reached the stream that branched off from the lake and lead towards the mountains. It created a ravine somewhere far away but Jack hadn't ever been there. He'd only heard of it.

The teen looked over the valley covered with snow and could spot the chimney spoke on the far, opposite side. His sister was just over the slow moving hills yet he didn't know if he wanted to see her, let alone make it across the valley.

Jack had originally wanted to go straight home but now, he was safe from that creep Pitch and it seemed like he had someone to talk to. Plus there was the mystery of the monster-rabbit now sitting beside him. Why hadn't the thing attacked him? Why was it taking care of him?

There were too many answers left unsaid. Jack needed to know why the beast killed his parents but he did need to go back to the village and tell them he was alive.

He glanced back towards the rabbit beside him and frowned before shaking his head and deciding he couldn't stay. Jack began walking through the several foot of snow away from Bunny as he began to his trek towards Burgess.

He didn't make it ten feet before he was pinned down to the ground and being held back by a giant rabbit.

At first he thought the look in the green eyes might be anger and deceit when he went to look at the rabbit's face but Jack was surprised to find that Bunny was looking at him sadly, almost in pity. Jack couldn't figure out what that meant. "I need to go back." He voiced.

Bunny shook his head again, gaze soft as he backed up off of Jack and stepped to the side. Jack didn't know what that meant, but he guessed it meant the beast didn't have any aim to harm him.

Jack watched as the rabbit nestled back on his hind legs, almost sitting like a normal person, upright. He looked like he'd done it many times before and reached forward with one paw to grab Jack. Jack didn't think he could use his paws like that, or more accurately hands if he was going to be assessing but didn't say anything when he took hold of the beast's arm, (front leg?), and let the rabbit pull him to his feet. At the same time Jack watched as he stood up, no longer balancing on his tail and hind end but actually standing like a person.

The teen couldn't say much else aside from the fact that Bunny was much larger than him and looked more intelligent than he'd ever seen him. It was like this was a life style that Bunny had either been born with or adapted to. Jack didn't know what came first, the four legs or the two legs.

Now he knew he had to find answers.

Jack followed as the rabbit walked, with difficulty as it seemed he hadn't done so in a while, towards the stream. The current was moving fast enough that the water hadn't frozen so there were still fish swimming about in the ice cold waters.

Then, as quickly as the rabbit had turned almost human in his actions, he bent back down and crouched at the side of the stream like a normal rabbit once more. Jack watched in fascination, waiting. He didn't know what Bunny was planning but he should have when a clawed paw shot out into the freezing water and withdrew a fish.

Jack couldn't help but internally remark at the creature's almost flawless reflexes. The rabbit ignored him still, placing the fish at his feet in the snow and then again reaching into the water for several more. By the end they had around three large ones and two smaller ones.

Bunny turned towards him once there was a sufficient amount of fish, giving him an inviting look. Jack had no trouble understanding and nodded, taking and collecting the fish. They moved away towards the base of the mountain, getting away as the air turned colder and the wind picked up again.

Eventually they made it to a small outcropping, like a small shelter that had long since been carved into the mountain that the creature had known of. The second Jack reached the small, semi-cave he placed the fish down and watched as Bunny walked off, giving him one warning look, before disappearing.

Jack sighed, shaking his head. The rabbit was more confusing than anything but Jack knew he could trust him, at least somewhat. It still didn't explain how the creature could have gone from killing a couple in front of their children to taking care of a random boy being chased by wolves.

Did the rabbit really dislike wolves that much? Was it just some sort of pity towards anyone being attacked by wolves? Or was it something more sinister?

Jack doubted it was anything like that. The rabbit liked him, and it was obvious. He liked him enough to be protective. Plus, he rescued him from dying under the lake.

In all honesty, Jack couldn't be more thankful. The creature had saved his life from two things, both a death by being torn to shreds and freezing solid under icy water to thaw out in the summer and be floating about as a dead body to scare the kids.

What would the villagers have even done? Sure, most of the parents didn't like Jack. But they wouldn't let his body stay frozen in the lake for the six months of winter would they? They couldn't just leave him out there like that and Jack doubted Emma and Jamie would have allowed it.

He tried not to think about it as he watched the smoke from the chimneys on the far side of the valley pillow into the air. It was so strange being on the other side of the valley, looking in instead of out. He almost felt safer out of the bubble of fear that was surrounding Burgess and its villagers.

He didn't feel the constant paranoia of the villagers around him and he felt less in danger than he ever had since he'd come to Burgess.

Bunny returned a few minutes later with several sticks and other such things to start a fire. Jack didn't think he'd have known that those things were needed for a fire, let alone what a fire was, but he didn't question it. Instead he helped start a fire with the few things he had, applying his knowledge from spending time with North and starting fires in the fire place.

Jack set up cooking the fish and when they were set beside the fire he sat back and glanced towards the rabbit-creature beside him. Bunny was staring out and around them, obviously watching the area surrounding them carefully.

"…have you always been living out here? Like this I mean." Jack asked, knowing it was a vague question but the rabbit nodded his head anyway. "It's got to get lonely." Jack responded, staring out at the plumes of smoke from the chimneys again.

Bunny shifted slightly, having been lying down almost like a dog beside the fire. It was obvious he felt that loneliness. Jack sighed, reaching a hand up to scratch the back of his head. When he pulled his hand away he noticed an odd black, dusty substance in his hands.

Confused, he stared at it and rubbed his fingers through it to feel the texture. It was exactly where Pitch had touched him the other night.

Bunny perked at Jack's confusion, sitting up and looking over at the dark, dusty substance on Jack's hands. The moment he saw it his eyes went wide and he got up again, looking into Jack's hair to see the small bits residing there, nestled within his newly whitened locks.

The rabbit was obviously upset. "What's wrong?" Jack asked, watching his newfound friend closely. Bunny didn't respond, obviously. But he did sit staring at Jack carefully like something was supposed to happen.

It didn't.

-o-

They ate in silence. Jack questioning how a rabbit could be anything other than an herbivore but Bunny gave him a blatant look when he commented on it. Jack laughed at that, smiling. They kept one of the larger cooked fish for Jack to take back up to the burrow so that he wouldn't have to come back down for food later.

For a short while they explored the area around the stream and Jack followed it back into the mountains. It began to snow, which caused Bunny to urge him to return back to the cave. Jack didn't protest, the ache in his arm growing again as the feeling in it came and went. When it was present, it was a constant stinging that he couldn't stifle.

His body felt weaker for some reason, like his joints were frozen but Jack ignored it. He had originally wanted to walk back up the mountain but with the turning weather, Bunny had shuffled him onto his back once more.

Jack compared it to riding a horse, but then again he'd never ridden one in his life time that he could remember. They no longer had any horses in Burgess, which was part of the reason why the people couldn't ever get help or escape.

Sometimes a stray horse would wander in, signaling someone traveling had been attacked but the horses almost always were scared off or too nuts to keep around. Something spooked them in the woods and Jack found it hard to believe it was the wolves alone.

Once returning to the burrow, Bunny had Jack start another fire to keep himself warm with the lack of fur and or cloak. Jack didn't protest to that as much either and instead watched the snow fall as he sat in front of the fire.

Bunny made a few patrols on the mountain, disappearing for chunks of time and bringing back different things. He brought back food more often than not. Some things were evidently from Burgess but every time Jack would ask if he'd hurt someone to get it, Bunny would shake his head no and curl up beside him.

Night time came swifter than it ever had, seeing as it was winter. With it the temperature dropped and Jack was shivering almost constantly, his teeth chattering and his grip on his staff tightening deeply. His arm went almost completely numb again. Bunny curled up around him again and Jack didn't protest that time. He instead let the giant rabbit lick at his wound and heat him up with the massive amount of fur and muscle giving off warmth.

The next day Jack awoke to the sound of rustlings and turned his head to find that Bunny wasn't there. Instead the rabbit was in the farthest part of the burrow, digging farther back into the mountain with tremendous timing.

Jack didn't know if he'd been up all night but there was almost an entire two times the space in the back then there had been in the front.

He stood up, leaning on his staff heavily when he noticed the numbness in his legs as well. He was almost completely cold all around and his skin felt that prickly sensation everywhere. "What are you doing, cottontail?" Jack asked, utilizing one of the first nicknames of many he'd come up with for the rabbit.

Bunny turned his head and gave him another blank stare as if telling him off before digging again. Apparently Jack wasn't going to get much of an answer so he leaned against the wall of the burrow and watched.

"I thought the ground was harder in the winter." Jack commented when he went to get the last of the fish. He also ate the cold, but good bread that he'd saved from the day before. Bunny had brought it up towards the end of the day and for some reason, Jack almost believed his sister had made it by the specific taste and look of it.

The rabbit made a noise unlike a growl but more like a noise of commitment. Jack almost jumped at that. He hadn't thought the rabbit could even manage something so close to 'speaking'.

"Are you just that good at digging then?" Jack asked, sitting down cross legged as he picked the meat off of the fish bones and ate his 'breakfast'. Bunny didn't respond. "Well fine, if you won't talk then I will." Jack smirked, knowing just his powers of being annoying.

He didn't get too far into an intense lecture on proper ice skating techniques before Bunny pulled back from his new room in the burrow with a very scared look in his eyes.

Jack didn't have time to ask what was wrong before Bunny had taken hold of the back of his shirt and drug him towards the new addition to the burrow, stuffing him in the back area where he wouldn't be visible from the entrance and stomped out the remains of the fire.

The teen almost went to ask what was wrong as Bunny shoved all evidence of Jack into the back area but a dangerous feeling fell over the air and it was obvious there was a new presence.

Jack couldn't see from his spot but he heard when Bunny began growling.

A low laugh filled the burrow as Jack guessed someone to be at the front of the cave. He held his breath, listening and almost thinking it sounded like Pitch.

"Hello, rabbit. I thought I'd drop by." Pitch's sickeningly, smug voice echoed through the burrow. Jack could hear him loud and clear but he couldn't see him, and he didn't dare move. He could also hear the sounds of wolves outside the burrow if he strained his ears.

Bunny's growling grew more persistent and Jack could hear him moving as well. "I know what you did with the boy." Pitch's voice said, it turning to more business-like terms. "I had thought you wouldn't get involved, seeing as I could very easily turn the entire wolf pack on you but you fought hard didn't you?"

Jack listened in, confused. "You fought against both my magical hold on you, and the other wolves just to save him, and for what? Guilt? You know very well the plans I have put into place, rodent. You were not to interfere and you were to only take action when I wanted you to, and to only do as I say. Your power may be stronger than any pitiful creature but you're a key part in this. I can very easily take complete control again, couldn't I? What would that do? I could make you tear apart every villager in Burgess. Do you want that? I can turn them all into my dogs, just like the rest of your victims."

Pitch kept talking, rambling on and on about things that Jack didn't understand. "I already agreed to sparing the boy's life but your interest is best left out. I have my own plans for him and you know that." Bunny let out a snarl at that. "I leave you with that reminder, rabbit. I'll be watching your every moves. I could make that child come running towards me for protection." Pitch hissed, evidently leaving by his retreating voice.

Jack waited silently, leaning against the dirt wall heavily as he tried to understand. What did Pitch mean when he said that Bunny was guilty? What did he mean by having plans for Jack? What was all the talk about magic and killing the people of Burgess and turning them into dogs? Were the dogs supposed to be the wolves? Was that what happened to Jack's parents?

And most importantly, what did Jack just step into?

He slowly lowered down the wall, landing on his bottom as he sat leaning against the wall. What was going on?

Bunny eventually came back towards the newly added portion of the room, giving him a look of both apology and searching. It was clear the rabbit was afraid that Jack didn't want to be near him anymore. While Jack was confused, that wasn't the case. If anything, Jack wanted to gather up his family and leave Burgess as quickly as possible. He wanted to take the Bennetts, North, Tooth, Sandy and Emma away to some other place that wasn't visited by Pitch.

Jack wished so much that Bunny could talk in those moments. He wished he could communicate with him, understand him, and read his every thoughts.

"I'm not leaving." Jack said eventually, a fear settling in him that he'd never felt before. He hadn't felt this afraid in his entire life. It only happened when Pitch was near.

Bunny gazed at him with the same searching eyes.

"I need to know what happened to my parents." He whispered.


	6. Bonds Broken, Bonds Made

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack makes a chilling discovery and Bunny helps him understand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ughhh this didn't turn out exactly how I wanted to and I apologize ahead of time. I can't tell you for what but I will apologize. Anyway, um, Jack returns to Burgess! I promised that so you shall receive! And Pitch is a giant poopoo head so yeah. XD
> 
> Anyway, the whole concept in here was roughed out a while ago but I sort of make up stuff as I go. I hope it makes sense and doesn't go too crazy. I wanted to keep the concept of fearlings and spirits and such in there so I worked it the best I could.
> 
> THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR THE COMMENTS AND THE BOOKMARKS AND THE KUDOS IT MEANS A LOT.

Emma had been crying for the past two days straight since they found the broken ice and Jack’s bloodied cloak. If the ice hadn’t killed him, the wolves sure had. North tried to console her over the loss of her brother but he too was grieving for the nephew he’d lost. Tooth spent as much time as she could with Emma and Sandy hadn’t left their home since they’d returned from the lake.

Pitch seemed to be angrier than anything, or at least frustrated but Emma doubted that had anything to do with Jack’s death. It was probably something to do with the fact that the wolves were practically patrolling the village at all times.

Three villagers had gone missing since Jack had died and every person in Burgess was feeling the terror. They were all forced to stay inside and barricade doors. The lack of food didn’t matter. They couldn’t go outside without the fear of being attacked by the wolf pack.

Emma was sitting beside North on the same bench they’d set Pitch down the first night they’d brought him into their home. She was trying to hold back more tears. She was so worried, and scared, and she felt like her heart had been torn apart.

“…what about the body…?” She’d brought up at one point, looking to North hopefully. The elder man shook his head, looking towards the windows they’d boarded over to prevent the wolves from getting inside.

He sighed. Emma knew they wouldn’t be able to retrieve the body from the lake until spring if Jack had even drowned. There was no way to tell exactly what had happened. They just knew Jack was missing and he was most likely dead if anything.

They’d stayed like that for hours, watching and waiting. Around midday, the wolves cleared out and the people of Burgess agreed to meeting up in the church where they held their town meetings. With care towards the wolves, everyone gathered in the pews.

Some people were as distraught as Emma, shaking in fear and mourning for their loved ones. It seemed more people were missing than first thought.

The moment Emma entered the church, Jamie shot up from his seat and ran up to her, pulling her into a tight hug. “Emma, you’re okay! Are you feeling any better?” He asked, looking into her eyes and seeing just how at a loss she was. Jack was gone. Jack, the one boy who’d been watching over them and the other kids was gone because they’d been stupid enough to go ice skating when the wolves were out.

Emma didn’t say anything but nodded, still clutching Jack’s cloak in her hands. Jamie looked down, frowning slightly at the sight of it before pulling her along with him over to where Sophie and his mother were sitting. North went towards the front of the church, knowing he’d be the one to lead the discussion. Pitch lingered in the corner of the church, his facial expression lacking any pleasant subtleties.

They had started off the town meeting with a roll call and in the middle of writing down the casualties, the doors to the church were pushed opened to reveal a familiar face.

A collective gasp filled the room and Emma shot to her feet, dropping the cloak to the floor as she completely disregarded it. “Jack!” She called, her eyes wide in shock. Everyone around the room began murmuring quietly, whispering too loudly too often.

Jamie held her back by her wrist, shaking his head. Emma immediately turned on him, pulling against his grip. “Can’t you see it’s Jack? He’s alive!” She said frantically, and after another moment of fighting Jamie let her go. He reached down and picked up the cloak, staring at what might be his friend.

“It’s a ghost…he’s dead, he can’t be here….” Someone whispered through the crowd yet it echoed and landed in everyone’s ears. “He’s hair is white and he’s deathly pale…he’s come back to haunt us.” Someone else responded just as Emma jumped into her brother’s arms.

Jack was standing there, staring at the people looking at him with shock and fear. His friends and family looked more confused than anything yet his sister didn’t seem to care. “Jack, you’re so cold…” His sister commented as he pulled her into his arms.

He blinked, confused as he held her. He felt fine, aside from the slight chill of not having his cloak and the sleeves on his shirt torn.

“Emma, step away from him.” Pitch warned from the corner, stepping forward and instantly Jack, picked up his sister into his arms, eyes locking with the dark man’s and he backed away. “Jack is dead, Emma. This isn’t him.” Pitch continued as he inched closer.

Emma glanced towards the taller figure, eyes blinking in fear as she looked back towards her brother. Tears built up in her eyes.

Jack shook his head. “I’m fine!” He yelled back, pulling his sister closer and leaning down, crouching to her level and looking her in the eye. “Emma, I’m alive. I promise. I’m not dead. I’m right here and I’m back so you can stop crying, okay?” He begged, holding her hands and looking into her eyes. She shook her head, looking closer at her brother.

“Jack…” She mumbled, placing a hand on his face beside his jaw line and trying to believe him. Her hand felt the cold, frozen skin and her eyes went wider and she backed away.

The moment Emma made it two steps away Jack shot up. “Emma, Emma what’s wrong?” He asked, confused and now in fear for himself. What was wrong with him? He knew his hair had turned white and he was pretty pale but…what could make her run away from him?

“If you’re alive…where’s your heart beat?” She asked as she kept backing away. Jack moved forward after her, trying to convince her otherwise but Jack didn’t know himself. Instead he kept shaking his head, as confused as she was.

Emma was within feet of Pitch’s arms and the moment she was within reach, the man pulled her up into his own grip. A smirk was on his face that only Jack could see because Emma blocked its view from the villagers. Emma cried into his shoulder like she should have been doing to Jack. “Get out of here, ghost. You cannot take any more lives here.” Pitch said in a foreboding voice and Jack frowned, looking towards the other villagers.

They all looked at him with fear, even North, Tooth, and Sandy. They all looked at him like he were a ghost coming to take the lives of the living.

Jack backed away, stepping back out into the street and just when he did. He noticed the black wolves were coming. Pitch intended to scare him off. “North!” He yelled, turning back towards the open door of the church. “You have to believe me!” He yelled but his uncle didn’t respond.

“Jamie!” Jack called, looking down at the boy he’d been friends with for years. “Jamie you’ve got to take care of my sister. Pitch isn’t who he says he is!” Jack yelled, trying to warn them. He didn’t have much time. He had to run. The wolves were getting closer.

Before Jack could continue the doors were slammed shut and the last Jack had seen of Jamie was his face as he looked towards Pitch.

Jack then ran, dashing down the street and running as quickly as he could to get out of the village. The wolves were howling and barking behind him, snapping at his heels as he ran. Terrified, Jack dodged a corner another bite to what would have been his previous wound and dashed around a corner only to find a dead end.

Instantly he turned on his heels, facing the wolves and gripping his staff tight. They all growled, prowling forward. The one at the front of the pack snarled rather loudly and Jack found himself backing up against the wall behind him. When his back met the wooden side of the building his breath caught in his throat.

He was going to die. He was going to die and he’d never have figured out what happened to his parents.

Using the last ounce of protection he had, Jack instantly gripped the staff with both hands and held it up, blocking the wolf just as it pounced. The second Jack saw the bloodied teeth, he flinched, eyes shutting tight as he awaited what was to come.

Except nothing did. Instead he slowly opened his eyes to see the frozen solid figure of a wolf mid pounce to get him, only inches from his face. Needless to say he was in shock, staring into the feral eyes of a frozen wolf mid-jump.

He would have stayed that way if not for the furry arms that wrapped around him. Jack turned his head, facing the familiar face of Bunny as the giant rabbit pulled him onto his back and began running. The other wolves seemed to have retreated the moment Jack froze the leader.

Jack looked down at the staff resting in his hand, noticing the thin layer of frost spreading over the surface away from his hand. Had he done that? Was he the one who froze that wolf or was that Bunny?

Also, what the hell did Emma mean when she said he had no heart beat? Jack frowned, taking one hand away from Bunny’s fur as he held on and took it to his face, placing it under his chin where he knew the pulse should have been able to be felt. Yet no matter how hard he pressed, it wasn’t there. Jack tried different fingers, he tried his wrist and the same thing happened.

Was Jack really dead?

He had no idea and it wasn’t until Bunny took him back to the burrow that he spoke about it.

-o-

Jack was sitting with his back leaning against the dirt wall in the back room of the burrow. Bunny had further hollowed it out and made it into a real room. The cold air and wind didn’t reach the area and that was where Jack had slept the previous night beside a warm fire.

Bunny hadn’t answered his questions and it seemed he couldn’t , or wouldn’t in the near future.

So when Jack returned back to the burrow and crawled back to ‘his’ room as he preferred to call it, he just sat there and pulled his knees up, hugging them as he stared at his hands. Was he really dead? Did Jack die of blood loss or the freezing water?

What happened?

“…I’m dead.” Jack muttered, eyes welling up slightly. Why was his body still functioning without a heartbeat? What was keeping him alive if not the blood that was supposed to be pumping through his veins?

Bunny lifted his head from the other side of the room where he’d curled up and stared at the fire. Aware of Jack’s confusion, the rabbit got up and walked over. Jack didn’t notice, instead he felt for a pulse again and when he gave up trying to understand and placed his hands over his face and tried to shut everything out, Bunny took action.

“It’s ma magic.” A rough and unfamiliar accented voice spoke through the room. Jack flinched the moment he heard it, he took the hands from his face instantly and looked forward, seeing that Bunny was sitting right in front of him.

Jack glanced around the room, still confused. “It’s ma magic tha’ saved ya.” The accented voice said and Jack instantly looked back to the rabbit in front of him, noticing that none other than Bunny had been making the noise.

“Holy-,” Jack went to let out a string of curses when he felt a paw slam over his mouth and saw a very, very, annoyed rabbit looking at him.

Jack ignored it. Instead he pulled the paw off and stood up, pointing at the rabbit angrily. “You can _TALK_?!” He yelled in an incredulous voice, his hand reaching for the staff leaning against the wall beside him. Suddenly the fear towards the beast grew inside him again and he backed away, stepping across the room to go towards the main entrance of the burrow.

Bunny jumped in his path first, blocking him. “Ya, I can talk. Yer afraid o’ me ‘cause I can talk. Now tha’ is just sad.” He said, standing to his full height and looking down at Jack who was now backing away, holding his staff as menacingly as possible. If he had frozen that wolf then maybe he could do it to Bunny too?

“I’m afraid because I don’t know if I can trust you.” Jack said, pointing at him and Bunny only rolled his eyes, leaning forward slightly. “Jack, Ah’m not gonna hurt ya an’ yer ice magic won’ work on me.” The rabbit responded blatantly, sitting down in Jack’s only path of escape.

Jack blinked, staring at him before looking at his staff. “Ice magic…? Wait…you mean when I fell in the lake…?” Jack started and Bunny nodded. The rabbit crossed his arms over his chest, sitting like a regular person, or as humanly as possible.

“Yer a winter spirit an’ ya always were gonna be one. Jus’ like ah’m a spring spirit.” Bunny said, watching him like he were a very ill-informed child which in reality was all Jack really was. “Ya gotta die b’fore you can become a spirit like us.” Bunny explained lightly.

Jack’s mind shifted to the fact that he no longer had a heart beat and nodded his head. He watched as Bunny pulled some of the fur apart to show a mark on his neck. It was a silver scar, probably a pierce mark from some sort of stick or maybe an arrow.

Slowly Jack placed his staff down, walking forward and looking at the mark. He glanced towards his arm, seeing the same silvery mark starting to appear on him. “…but, if your magic keeps me alive…then what about you?” Jack asked, looking into the brilliant green eyes of the giant rabbit beside him.

Bunny shook his head. “Ma magic is only keepin’ ya alive until the wound heals. From there, yer own magic’ll take over. Ah was healed by Mother Nature.” Bunny spoke as he reached for Jack’s arm, looking at the bite mark. “You’ll always need ta be close though. If tha’ wound was fatal, ya’d be fine when it heals but ya died o’ hypothermia b’fore the bite killed ya and ya can’t really get rid of tha’. Sort o’ Ironic.”

Jack frowned. “So if I’d been killed by the wolves, I’d be fine and normal but I froze first so I can’t heal all the way because my body’s dead?” Jack asked and Bunny frowned.

“Jus’ means yer feedin’ off ma magic is all. Pitch intended ta make ya reliant on him so ‘e could feed off yer magic as well. Essentially it creates a bond tha’ both can pull from the other with. Pitch uses bonds like tha’ ta b’come more powerful. ‘Cept that dun’ work so well when the bugger ain’t compatible with tha’ spirit’s magic. His fear magic an’ yer winter magic go perfect t’gether.” Bunny explained as he got up from his place blocking the exit.

It was clear Jack wasn’t going to run off anywhere now that he understood the situation better.

“So, how do we get along then? You’re a spring spirit…that’s like the opposite of winter.” Jack commented, looking as the giant rabbit settled beside the fire again. Jack picked up his staff and followed. He wanted to understand.

Bunny made a sort of laughing noise. “Seasonal spirits are compliments. We’re more compatible than ya think. Mother Nature made it tha’ way. Speakin’ of her, ya won’t be pullin’ too much from me. Once ya connect more wi’ the earth you’ll be pullin’ form her more than anybody. Tha’s why seasonal spirits are special.” Bunny smirked.

Jack nodded his head. “…so…what’s with Pitch and controlling the wolves?” Jack asked curiously as he sat down beside Bunny in front of the fire.

“There’s two ways fer Pitch ta get more power aside from bondin’ with other spirits. One, is feedin’ off the thing tha’ his magic centers on. Fer him, it’s fear. He made tha’ village into a powerhouse o’ fear.” Bunny stated, staring into the fire. “The other is makin’ followers, or fearlins. He uses his magic ta take over some poor sod so ‘e can do what ‘e wants with ‘em.” Bunny paused and looked towards Jack with an understanding expression. “Tha’ includes killin’ a person and using their body however ‘e wants ta. He turns villagers inta wolves and makes ‘em do ‘is bidding. Tha’ takes a lot o’ magic though, which is why ‘e needs yer magic to feed off.”

Jack stared in realization, now remembering what that would imply. Jack parents were probably some of the first fearlings created by Pitch and now they were turned into wolves and terrorizing the town, killing people left and right for Pitch’s own benefit.

“…so…my parents…” Jack muttered, looking towards Bunny with a scared expression. The rabbit nodded. But, then Jack remembered the fact that Pitch had said something about taking control of bunny and he blinked, afraid. “Wait, you…he got you?” Jack asked, leaning away.

Bunny sighed and looked in the other direction. “Tha’ year was a really bad winter and spring was comin’ in late. There weren’t any winter spirits in the area an’ Pitch knew ah was weaker. He got near control o’ me when yer family was comin’ through the pass an’ ah was stuck in a really bad nightmare, ah couldn’t tell whether ah was awake or not. All ah saw were fearlins surroundin’ me and ah attacked the closest thing. None of ‘em fought back…not until ya punched me an’ ah woke up.” Bunny spoke, his tone extremely guilty.

Jack looked at him, remembering being trapped under him and being so afraid he’d die. “Pitch planned on me attackin’ ya then so he’d get ta use yer magic then but ya stopped me.” Bunny said, obviously thankful for that. Jack was thankful too, he hadn’t thought that was what would have happened.

Jack shook his head, trying to clear the image of being ripped to shreds by his new friend from his mind. “So, what do we do to stop him?” Jack asked, looking towards Bunny expectantly.

Bunny looked at him slightly incredulously before looking back down. “Well, there’s killin’ ‘im. Or somethin’ but ah dunno what we could really do. Yer a half-baked winter spirit with no idea how ta use yer powers and ah’ve got barely any magic aside from the basics ‘cause of the winter in tha’ first place.” Bunny narrowed his eyes, looking towards Jack.

Jack looked optimistic anyway. “That guy’s got my sister and I’m not going to let him hurt her.” Jack commented smiling even though his comment was grim.

They were silent for a while after that, at least until a though crossed Jack’s mind. “…wait, I can’t just keep calling you Bunny. What about your real name?” Jack asked, pointing at the large rabbit beside him.

Bunny smirked at the notion. “O’ course ah gotta name.” He responded, though not readily giving it away. Jack frowned, leaning into him and nudging his shoulder. “What name?” Jack asked, obviously aware of Bunny’s embarrassment but ignoring it all the same.

The giant rabbit only shook his head and looked the other way. “Ya’d make fun of it.” He said dryly. Jack scowled at the response and shook his head. “Come on, I’m not going to tease you.” Jack promised, tugging one of Bunny’s ears.

Bunny only rolled his eyes. “E. Aster Bunnymund.” He finally said after a few moments of silence.

He had expected the laughter, but he didn’t expect the instant hug he’d gotten in return. “E. Aster? Like Easter?” Jack wheezed between laughs, leaning heavily on the rabbit beside him. Bunny looked his way, slightly perturbed by the close contact, although it was not that bad it was still unexpected.

Jack ignored his look and kept giggling. “Man…I kinda liked Bunny better.” Jack smiled, rocking back so he wasn’t leaning on his company anymore.

“Sorry, Bun-bun, but I think I’ll stick with Bunny and Aster. That was a mouthful.” He replied, rubbing a tear from his eye. Bunny smiled slightly at that, wrapping an arm around Jack and pulling him back close again. “Yeah right, ya’d just laugh if ya had to say the full name all the time.” Bunny said back settling back down.

Jack smiled as well, leaning into the side of the rather large rabbit. “So why don’t you talk in front of Pitch?” He asked, taking one of Bunny’s ears into his hands and messing with it again. He’d grown to like spending time in the burrow, even if it wasn’t his real home.

Bunny shrugged his shoulders slightly. “Never had ta. ‘E thought ah was a no good animal since ‘e first saw me.” Bunny replied, settling down onto the ground.

Jack blinked, thinking. “When did he first see you?” He questioned, now realizing he had no idea how Bunny had come along.

“When ‘e killed me. ‘E killed all of my race. Ah was the only one tha’ had a purpose after life. So, ah ended up ‘ere.” Bunny’s tone had gone slightly more solemn. Jack frowned, gripping Bunny’s fur tightly in his hands.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Jack whispered back but Bunny still shrugged. “It’s all behind me. It happened hundreds o’ years ago.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to apologize for that accent. Omg. Terrible. If you think its ok, please tell me in a comment or something so I can know whether to drop it and just imply it or keep it. Honestly, Australian accents are the only accents I can't do. So it's a mixture of southern and British. Which is really odd.


	7. New Allies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack meets up with and old friend and a new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHAHAHAHAAAA the end will make you so happy I promise. (well actually I have no idea what makes you guys happy sooooo whatevs. Anyway, 
> 
> A fair warning, this week I'll be having family visiting so for literally the next seven days I'll be either cleaning or entertaining my child cousin and her parents who have been living across the country and haven't visited in like half a decade. I have NO idea how much I'll write and I've got homework so I'll have to prioritize that. But, I hope this update pleases you! 
> 
> Side note on Bunnymund's accent, I toned it down and added some Aussie slang (almost forgot to put mate in sentences and literally scrambled at the last minute). I'll make a list of what things mean at the bottom notes :) Thank you so much for the feedback guys. You're great. Please tell me what you think of this chapter, I took a leap there and I don't know how you'll like it.

Jack woke up early the next day after a long night of talking with Bunny about simple things like their powers and whatnot. Bunny had apologized for making it seem like he ‘didn’t speak’ but Jack eventually forgave him for the scare and the trouble. The giant rabbit’s argument was that over so many years of remaining silent, he pretty much forgot how to speak.

But with the more he spoke, Bunny’s accent lessened slightly as he became more accustomed to talking and his words displayed he was getting more comfortable around Jack. The two were fast friends it seemed, though the teasing never stopped.

“So, we’re gonna work on my magical power stuff right?” Jack asked, leaning heavily on his staff as he kicked at the giant rabbit he’d been using as a pillow. Bunny only groaned some profanity under his breath and rolled over, facing the opposite direction and flattening his ears against the back of his skull to drown out the noise.

The Overland boy didn’t give up that easily. Instead he looked closer at Bunny to see that he really didn’t secretly have his eyes open before he pointed his staff at the fluffy rabbit and concentrated as hard as he could.

Needless to say Bunny awoke to a very cold blast of ice and was already up on his feet, halfway across the burrow when he turned around to see Jack’s devious smile. “No good, winter spirits…ah should’ve let ya sleep in the bloody snow.” Bunny grumbled, shaking some frost off his fur.

Jack smirked at the angry look his friend as giving him. “You should have gotten up when I said so. I was practically giving you fair warning.” He laughed lightly as he walked towards the entrance of the burrow. There was a good two feet of snow on the ground and Jack could see the smoke from Burgess billowing into the air just as before.

From up on the mountain, Jack could see the entire village in its glory. It was smaller than he thought, dwarfed by the presence of the mountains and the threes. The valley did nothing to help either.

“So, what do I get to learn first?” Jack asked when Bunny pulled up next to him, walking on all four paws again. That seemed to be an instinct Bunny had more trouble fighting. Bunny gave him a wary look before sighing deeply, the hotter air billowing in the cold around his face.

Jack wondered why he didn’t have the same effect anymore but he guessed his body temperature was much colder. “Flyin’ probably.” He grumbled, looking out into the cold wintery air and possibly watching out for any trouble.

Instantly Jack was looking at him like he was crazy. “I can _fly_?” He said in an incredulous voice, unsure how to accept that information. Bunny nodded his head, giving him a once over. “Winter spirits always fly.” He responded, stepping out into the snow for a moment.

Jack blinked. “Can you fly?” He asked, pointing at the giant rabbit and trying to picture him flying without looking like some fluffy mess. The picture looked really weird in Jack’s head.

“No, no, no. Ah’ve got my tunnels.” Bunny said, digging into the snow slightly. Jack smirked, obviously finding it comical. “Yeah right. You couldn’t get anywhere fast with your digging-,” Suddenly he was cut off when Bunny gave him an annoyed look and tapped his hind foot on the ground twice in a rhythmic manner.

Jack let out a yelp of surprise as suddenly he was sliding down through a sizable tunnel, following behind a rather smug looking rabbit who was running ahead of him, laughing. Then suddenly an opening appeared and in moments Jack found himself popping up from the ground and landing in a heap right at the lake’s side.

How the hell did they get there so fast with just some rinky dink tunnel?

“Woah, okay, what just happened?” Jack asked, rubbing his head and standing up. Bunny only smirked further, sitting back on his haunches and staring at the very disturbed boy before him. “Oh get up, ya dill. Ya need to start flappin’ yer wings and flyin’ or you’ll get attacked easy.” Bunny chastised as Jack struggled to his feet, still pretty delirious.

The boy scowled at that notion, waving his staff at Bunny menacingly before glancing around. They really were at the lake. Which begged the question, why didn’t Bunny just use the tunnels all the time?

“What’s with the lack of traveling this way anyway?” Jack asked, dusting some dirt of his clothes and checking his wolf bite mark.

Bunny shrugged. “Just the same as talkin’ I guess.”  He admitted.

That earned him another scowl. Jack instead crossed his arms and looked around. “So how am I supposed to fly?” He asked curiously, knowing it wouldn’t be easy. Bunny hopped up next to him, pointing at the branches blowing in the wind. “Somethin’ with the wind.” He offered and Jack gave him a disbelieving look.

“Really. That’s all you’ve got to tell me? I thought you were knowledgeable.” He complained, smacking bunny slightly on the shoulder. The rabbit deflected the hit easily. “Now don’t go spittin’ the dummy at me just ‘cause I dun know how you winter drongos fly. I’m a spring spirit, mate. Completely different business.” Bunny defended weakly.

Jack only rolled his eyes. “Well uh…here goes.” Jack muttered, lifting his staff and sort of wishing internally he could fly. Each time he shot any ice from it, he’d been wishing to so…he guessed flying worked the same way?

For a few moments, nothing happened. Then bunny burst out laughing, snickering and chuckling like a school boy from his place a few feet back. Jack didn’t appreciate it.

“Hey shut up!” Jack shouted back at him, waving his staff menacingly again. “If the wind were so great for flying, maybe it would actually pick me up and send me-,” Jack was mid rant when he felt his feet lift the ground and instantly he was in a panic, waving his arms as the wind picked him up just as ordered.

He let out a cry of surprise as he was lifted up in an updraft, floating just above the trees. Bunny had stopped laughing, obviously concerned now that Jack was suspended midair with no idea what to do. Wasn’t flying supposed to come naturally to these guys?

He watched, worry pooling in his eyes as the boy stared around him, suspended by an invisible force.

Meanwhile, Jack was staring around at the trees and lake below him. It was scary at first but then he felt like all the weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He felt so free, like he could go wherever he told the wind to take him to and it was probably true.

He felt so air light. How come men couldn’t fly? They wouldn’t feel fear or stress over so many things. It would be like a gift from Mother Nature. Then Jack realized he was nature and he laughed. He laughed long and hard without a care in the world and only stopped when the air went whizzing by him again and his grip on the air seemed to be lost.

Jack went falling back down through the trees, towards the ground until his arms reached out and he crashed into a branch.

Bunny’s heart was beating a mile a minute the second he saw Jack fall and he was hopping towards where the boy was going to land when he watched as Jack’s torso connected with that of a large branch. Worried for the kid’s health, Bunny made his way to the bottom of said tree and stared upwards.

“You alright, Frostbite?” He asked, knowing very well the kid was alive but that didn’t exclude broken limbs and bruises.

What he least expected to hear in response was the, “let’s do that again” that followed. Jack had detangled himself from the branches and climbed down to meet Bunny on the ground. All he had were a few minor scratches and what looked like was a slightly crooked nose but still.

“Yer a crazy hoon. That looked more than dangerous.” Bunny said the moment Jack was standing next to him. Jack rolled his eyes and stepped out into the open again. “It was fun as all hell, though.” He countered, wondering if the wind would listen to him even if he wasn’t talking out loud.

So Jack willed the wind to make him fly again and it worked. He flew upwards, a little unsteady and practiced directions, speeds, stopping, landing, and eventually backflips and crazy shit that made Bunny lose his marbles on more than one occasion.

It was evident that Bunny didn’t like flying even if he wasn’t the one doing it.

Jack couldn’t stop pretending to have fatal crashing moments just to scare him. One of the best being where he went flying around at top speed, doing back flips and suddenly he acted as though he was spinning out of control and went air-tumbling towards Bunny.

“Woah! Bunny, catch me! I don’t know if I can stop!” He said in a half-believable voice as he did summer saults towards Bunny. His rabbit friend looked genuinely worried, as he always did because no matter what he was too gullible to the flying tricks.

But surprisingly, Bunny didn’t do anything. “I know yer tryin’ to trick me, Frostbite.” He said, though his eyes betrayed him. He was genuinely worried and trying to hide it.

Jack frowned, straightening out so he went straight flying towards Bunny and tackled him, arms wrapping around the massive amounts of fur and muscle. “Come on, you can’t be catching on that quick!” Jack whined, upset that his fun was getting ruined.

Bunny only gave slightly when Jack went barreling into him and caught the kid with his arms, knowing that if he jumped out of the way, Jack might not have the time to recover so he wouldn’t wipe out. “Come on. I think ya gave it a fair go. Let’s get a move on before somebody decides to lob in.”

Just as Bunny suggested someone stopping by, the both heard the sound of a twig branch snapping and looked up.

Standing on the opposite side of the lake, utterly alone, was Jamie Bennett. He had wide eyes as he watched the interaction between Jack and the giant rabbit monster he’d been taught to fear. In his hands was a very familiar, ripped and bloodstained cloak that Jack had lost at the very same lake they were standing at the sides of.

“…Jamie?” Jack muttered, stepping back from Bunny. Instinctively, Bunny had hopped in front of him and had his ears pinned back, muscles taught in expectation. His throat was holding back a growl, waiting for any offensive moves on Jamie’s part.

Jamie stumbled back the moment Bunny did so, obviously scared of the creature. Jack scowled at the sight and pushed Bunny out of the way, using the wind to hop over the frozen water of the lake so that he could get closer to his friend.

Jack landed on the very edge of the lake, now opposite from Bunny and standing only a few feet away from Jamie. The boy, who Jack had known since the kid had been born, reeled back a few steps in surprise and defense.

“It’s alright, Jamie. I’m not going to hurt you.” Jack said in an easy tone, holding out a hand and setting his staff down. “I can explain everything that’s happened but I need you to trust me.” Jack offered, crouching down to Jamie’s level so the boy would feel less intimidated.

Jamie stared at him, nodding. “…I-I figured you would w-want this…” Jamie stuttered, holding out Jack’s cloak. In seconds Bunny was standing right there, probably having dug a tunnel under the lake so he’d be able to stop Jamie from handing him over anything infected.

The boy reeled back, pulling the cloak closer and backing up another yard at the sudden appearance of a giant monster rabbit next to him. Jack groaned, standing up and smacking Bunny on the head with his staff. “Back off, Cottontail. Jamie’s a friend and he’d never try to hurt me.” Jack defended, walking over towards Jamie and standing in front of him protectively.

“So’s yer sister, mate.” Bunny countered and Jack knew he had a point. “Oh shut up anyway, you can’t attack Jamie because he’s giving me back my cloak.” Jack hissed in response, turning back to his friend.

Jamie stared at him warily with wide eyes, unsure what to do. Jack bent down again, taking the cloak from his friend’s hands. “Thanks, Jamie…for y’know, believing in me.” Jack smiled, putting a hand on the kids shoulder. He felt so painstakingly alive in comparison to Jack’s own self it actually was shocking.

“So…you are dead…?” Jamie asked, staring at Jack’s cold features. Jack nodded his head, looking towards Bunny. “But I’m not the bad kind of dead. I’m a winter spirit now. I’ll always be here and don’t even think of being scared over that big fluff ball either, he saved my life.” Jack responded.

Jamie stared at him before nodding. “…so I guess you’re Jack Frost…instead of Overland now?” Jamie smiled, poking at his frozen chest. Jack laughed and nodded his head. His father’s last name had been Frost but Jack dropped it to his mother’s and North’s blood last name when he lived in Burgess.

It felt good to share a name with his father again. Something told him his father would be proud.

“How’s Emma?” Jack asked, now worried at the reminder of his family. He knew North and Sandy could take care of themselves and Tooth but Emma was the bigger worry.

Jamie looked away slightly before tensing. “Pitch has been spending a lot of time with her…and I keep seeing him doing weird things. That’s why I believed you when you said he was bad. But, I don’t think I can stand up to him.” Jamie admitted.

Jack frowned, shaking his head. “We’ll have to get her out of there. Maybe Bunny and I can lead the town out of Burgess…protect them from the wolves. Pitch will be less powerful if there’s no fear to feed off of.” Jack muttered out lout. Bunny perked at the idea.

“It’d be a long an’ hard trip for ‘em. The ankle-biters wouldn’t make it through the snow.” Bunny stated and Jack frowned. “Maybe if I hold off the worst of the weather?” Jack offered and Bunny shook his head. “Yer not strong enough yet, Frostbite. We’d hafta get a hold of Seraphina.”

Jack and Jamie both perked at the new name. “…who?” Jack muttered back, confused. That was when Bunny realized his mistake. “Mother Nature. She’s got control o’ the area righ’ now.” Bunny explained and Jack nodded his head in understanding.

He’d have to meet her at some point. “Well, we’ll figure out something. But you’ve got to be really careful Jamie. If Pitch knows you’ve been talking with us…I don’t know what he’ll do. You have to watch after Emma the best you can.” Jack bargained, smiling. Jamie nodded his head, a smile on his face as well.

“I’ll protect them.” He agreed, turning towards Bunny. “Thank you for saving Jack. We thought he was really dead, like… _dead_ , dead.” Jamie said, walking forward and holding out a hand towards Bunny.

The giant rabbit nodded his head, smiling and holding out a paw for a handshake. The two kept eye contact for a moment’s notice before Jamie had to return to the village. “Mom doesn’t know I left and I don’t want her thinking she lost me.” Jamie reasoned as he ran back up the path. Jack followed behind him in the trees for a while, watching him as he safely made it him.

Then Jack and Bunny went looking for food and retreated away from the weather so they could get back to the burrow. Jack hopped on Bunny’s back and they took one of the tunnels, Jack riding him like he was a horse again.

That night, Jack curled up by the fire in the back room and listened to the howls of the fearling possessed wolves in the distance, hoping he’d hear no cries in the night. Bunny was next to him, providing Jack with the proper body heat he’d need during the night to stay de-thawed.

Bunny had gotten more concerned about his wolf bite again and held his arm in his two front paws that in reality were more like hands than anything. Jack didn’t mind so much but he was curious why Bunny got so caught up with the injury.

“Why do you always have to keep checking it?” Jack asked, watching as his rabbit friend ran furred fingers over the now scarring wound. It was still painfully numb.

Bunny hummed before leaning back and letting go. “That wolf was a fearlin’. It could’ve infected ya.” He reasoned as he looked over a few more cuts Jack had gotten from falling in trees. Jack was healing rather quickly.

“Oh…well…was that why you freaked out when I had that black sand in my hair?” Jack asked, wondering whether that could have been from Pitch when he had ruffled his hair. Was the man trying to infect him then?

Bunny sighed and nodded his head. Something in his eyes told Jack he was remembering something, like a really painful memory. That was when Jack remembered Bunny’s people had been killed by Pitch.

“…You’ve seen it before?” Jack asked, knowing he shouldn’t pry into other people’s painful pasts. He hated it when Jamie and the kids would bother him about his bout with the beast, or now, his ‘saving’ of Bunny and himself.

Bunny nodded his head, lying down again next to Jack after releasing his arm. “Yeah, mate. My people were a proud, age old race. We had all kinds o’ knowledge and when Pitch was first possessed by fear…’e killed ‘em. I’m a Pooka, or more accurately, the last Pooka. My people lived underground in a faraway continent ya wouldn’t recognize. It was peaceful…an’ we kept to ourselves. We were friends wi’ spirits, like us. Then that bloody murderer came and killed every last one of us. Ah was the last to go.”

Jack listened carefully as Bunny’s tone grew solemn and his voice heavier with emotion. Jack could picture hundreds of his kind being slaughtered. “What was it like…?” He asked, wondering just what power Pitch could have had.

“The fearlins. They came first an’ then Pitch. The Warren was never dark…not completely but midday he came and it was pitch black in the tunnels and with it the fearlins an’ the black sand. The sand was sentient back then…an’ it suffocated most of the does an’ the kits. The bucks fought the fearlins…but it was all too much.” Bunny could remember the sounds of kits crying and wailing as their mothers were murdered and they too were slaughtered.

Pitch was the first cruel spirit to happen upon the Warren and its people. Ironically, the Pooka weren’t prepared for it at all even with their knowledge and fighting skill. Bunny had been there, seen it all, and when he woke up from the disaster he’d been healed by Seraphina.

Mother Nature, only a girl at the time, had been the first victim to Pitch’s madness.

“Pitch wasn’t always bad though.” Bunny added, looking towards Jack as he seemed to mourn the Pooka race himself. Jack was so sympathetic.

The white haired teen gave him a bewildered look. Pitch surely had to have always been the man with a pitch black soul since he’d come into existence. Jack couldn’t picture him otherwise but Bunny knew the man had been nice and loving and caring before. He was human like anyone.

“…Pitch used to be human. He used to ‘ave a daughter, an’ he loved her. He was respectable before he became a mongrel.” Bunny stated and he leaned back slightly, sitting back on his haunches next to Jack as he stared at the flames of the fire.

Jack still seemed out of the loop. “Really…? He had a daughter?”

“A pretty damn wonderful one too. That Sheila had more than enough care to spread it with the whole world…an’ eventually the man in the moon made it so.” Bunny explained, smiling slightly at the thought of the girl. Bunny was the first seasonal spirit to be born, and he was the spirit of spring, the most hopeful of all seasons. He had been the first seasonal spirit to be linked with her and they were friends since the dawn of man’s age practically.

Jack stared at him for moments before blinking. “You mean…she’s Mother Nature?” Jack asked and Bunny nodded his head definitely. “Yep, an’ Pitch killed her.”

Instantly a cold breeze shifted through the room and both males looked up just as a voice spoke.

“That’s no way to be talking about my death, now is it Aster?” A female voice said as Jack watched a beautiful girl appear from the shadows. “Kozmotis lost his mind because the fearlings killed him and possessed him. He’s not some heartless murderer. He wasn’t in his right mind.” She defended her father as she settled in the burrow.

Jack and Bunny were both silent, staring at the woman they’d been speaking of. In front of them stood a woman with long black hair and golden eyes, her appearance much similar to Pitch’s but more graceful in nature. She was young looking, obviously having died around the same age as Jack had but she had the elegance and overall presence of a woman ages old and filled with wisdom.

She wore a blue and white dress with elaborate winter patterns on it, snowflakes embroidered into the sleeves and the hems of the fabric. She was gorgeous.

Jack was staring at her blankly, eyes wide in surprise. Was this really Pitch’s daughter? How was she…so nice looking and caring?

“Jackson Overland Frost, I take it you’ve got a few questions for me.” Seraphina grinned, her hands tucked in her sleeves as she turned towards the youngest spirit among them. For once, Jack felt younger than he ever had.

This woman reminded him of his mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUSSIE SLANG:  
> Mate- buddy (hehe this could have deeper meaning later cuz I'm evil)  
> Dill - idiot  
> "Spitting the Dummy" - Getting angry with  
> Drongo - dopey person, stupid person  
> Hoon - Hooligan  
> "give a fair go" - to give it a good shot  
> to Lob in - show up  
> Ankle-biter - small child/child


	8. Changing State of Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pitch plans for the future and Bunny takes the fall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo! I really wanted to get this update out as quickly as possible before my cousin and her parents get here (since ughhh family). 
> 
> We get a little bit of Pitch's point of view! How exciting? xD Actually, it's just a good display of change and I felt like he needed some attention because wow. I've been neglecting him a bit. Anyway, thank you guys so much, all of you. The response I've been getting for this fic is amazing and the end of this chapter will come as a welcome surprise I hope! :D
> 
> AUSSIE SLANG:  
> Bog standard - Basic, ordinary  
> Bloke - male, man  
> "Your bowl of rice" - similar to "your cup of tea", your liking

Pitch was sitting in the previous home of Jackson Overland Frost, the one he’d driven him out of, with his thoughts centered on the new presence he felt. His power had spread over the area surrounding Burgess and only cut off at the mountain range and the opposite edge of the forest. He felt every shadow of the land and knew when any new presence stepped into it.

He had been calming Emma over the loss of her brother, something he didn’t like doing but had to, when he felt the overbearing sense of someone new in his domain. Sure, he’d noticed the few spikes in activity when the rabbit dug his tunnels from place to place and when Jack discovered more of his abilities. But this was something completely different.

It was achingly familiar as well and he almost always felt a little of its presence which could only mean it was one of two things.

Either the Man in the Moon had manifested his power and taken a form on earth in the area of Burgess, or Seraphina had shown up. Either was intimidating to Pitch, seeing as one was the most powerful spirit of them all and the other was his own flesh and blood who was just as daunting.

It begged the question though, was Seraphina going to aid in her seasonal spirits’ affairs or was she there to welcome Jack into his placement as a seasonal spirit.

No matter what he should have expected her presence, seeing as she’d have to create a bond with each seasonal spirit so they could draw from her and the earth rather than from themselves and others. The magical network built up by the nature spirits was so powerful in itself. The Man in the Moon and Seraphina had made it so to protect nature above all else. For without nature, life on earth wouldn’t be as it was. It wouldn’t exist.

Pitch despised most nature spirits, only finding a few winter ones to be likable because of their colder, darker magical make up. Winter was to take life, not give. It was another reason why Pitch despised the rabbit so much, though he would have been a powerful ally.

Spring and summer spirits were not as easily persuaded into the darker things like spreading fear and chaos. They were more for happiness, hope, dreams and increasingly optimistic as a whole. Pitch loathed them.

So when he and Bunny both discovered the presence of a new, soon to be spirit in the making for winter, they both dedicated themselves to reaching out to him in some way so that he’d be shaped into what they desired.

Pitch’s plans to take control of the rabbit so that he could kill the parents had gone well. But he hadn’t intended for Bunny’s madness to turn onto Jack. Pitch had been aiming for the loss of Emma, not both children. If he were going to make Jack hateful, cold, and distrustful then he’d have to take away the boy’s family and scar him.

Luckily the boy had defended himself before he could be killed too early. If he was killed at such a young age he wouldn’t have as much power and would have been adopted directly by Seraphina. For without a direct, constant connection with Seraphina, a seasonal spirit wouldn’t grow or become any stronger. It was the same for any other spirit, not nature based, with the Man in the Moon.

But all the same, Pitch waited over the years in the dark, watching Jack grow both mentally, physically, and in power. His power lay dormant until his death but it still flourished and showed to any spirit who was old enough to tell.

Except while Pitch could see the child growing stronger, so could Bunny. Their rivalry had long since preceded Jack’s existence but with his involvement, the same revenge sparking desire to harm the other had been rekindled once more.

Bunny was a loyal follower to Seraphina while Pitch was not to the Man in the Moon. It was a classic example of good versus evil and the two both knew that. It was part of the reason why they were so obsessed with the task at hand.

For a long time they waited in the shadows. Bunny protected Jack from any harm sent his way and Pitch plucked away his friends and family so that he could make him more hateful and scornful of his life. Yet much to Bunny’s amusement, Jack didn’t falter. He seemed to have fun with everything and was supportive of the children around him. His sister kept his eyes open, and he remained optimistic no matter how hard Pitch tried to mold him into the ‘perfect’ spirit.

Pitch had on many occasions plotted to kill Emma and almost succeeded so many times. He sent wolves out to kill tear her apart, one of his attempts being the time when Jack had jumped in front of her. Pitch had aimed to stop him but the boy went anyway and almost immediately after North charged in and ruined all Pitch’s plans.

It was devastating. All that hard work. All of it was gone.

All Pitch wanted was a partner in his crimes that wouldn’t follow the rules of nature. All he’d wanted was a spirit that didn’t falter under the Moon’s power or become swayed by Seraphina. But most of all, Pitch wanted someone he could be close to again. While he was never overly affectionate, Pitch had been alone for centuries since his ‘possession’ by the fearlings and that didn’t bode well on him.

He was human after all. Company was all he wanted. Someone he could trust, rely on, and teach in the ways of chaos and dissent. Pitch would lose that chance for years to come if he let Jack get away. Jack was the only new spirit for probably years that would be compatible in magic to Pitch. This was another reason why he couldn’t let that god forsaken rabbit get a hold of him.

But most of all, it was because he couldn’t let Bunny’s attraction to Jack get in the way either. The both of them had come to like the boy, both for different reasons. Bunny found the kid oddly endearing, and the rabbit had been alone for even longer than Pitch had. If the rabbit was finally taking an interest in someone, if only minor, then Pitch needed to step in while he still could.

So Pitch decided to swipe the prize away early, send the kids running with wolves on their heels and separate them from Jack so if the rabbit would intervene, it’d be to save the needs of the many over the few.

Except he hadn’t expected for Jack to last so long against the wolves and he hadn’t expected the rabbit to kill off the other fearling-infected canines so quickly. He’d almost succeeded when Jack was bitten in the arm but the teen broke free and slid out onto the lake. It was just enough of a delay for the rabbit to dig a tunnel and stop them.

Pitch had been infuriated and he knew he would have to retake control of the rabbit like he’d been doing all of Jack’s life. He already had a hold on him once, all he had to do was send him into another nightmarish frenzy and he’d kill.

Pitch’s musings were interrupted as he sat there, plotting ways to get Jack back before he was permanently planted on the good side. To his left he heard Emma Overland Frost’s voice as she spoke about something, something Pitch didn’t particularly care too much to hear since she was just another annoying little girl that had no place but to exist as Jack’s one source of optimism.

Then a thought flickered across the dark man’s mind and his eyes glinted with purpose. If Emma was the one last source of happiness, the only thing that he cared about so much he’d kill for, then Pitch would have to turn the tables and he knew just how.

Slowly Pitch stood, his mind warping into twisted ways as he walked over to Emma and helped her with whatever things she was doing. The entire time his thoughts wouldn’t stop reveling in the fact that Emma was the perfect victim, a martyr to send Jack to his side.

With the future in mind, Pitch began to muster enough power to take control of the rabbit once more. His big eared errand dog had chores to take care of.

-o-

Jack was standing, his staff in hand, in order to greet Seraphina properly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He said, holding out his free hand as he stepped towards her. She nodded her head, her hands pulling back from her sleeves for what looked like her receiving his handshake but instead she took hold of his arm and looked at the bite mark.

“Aster has been taking good care of your wound.” She commented lightly, causing Jack to blush slightly when she ignored the handshake and instead went straight to his wellbeing. “Though, it seems your healing powers leave room for improvement, Bunnymund.” She spoke as she turned to look at the spring spirit.

Bunny snorted and rolled his eyes. “Don’t get pissy with me ‘cause it fits the bog standard. I’ve been livin’ o’ natural over here, Ma.” He responded in a distasteful tone but you could still hear the respect. Jack was a little confused to hear him refer to her as Mother but he guessed it was a common thing since she _was_ Mother Nature.

“I’m fine, really. We’ve been taking good care of each other.” Jack insisted as the woman poked and prodded at the mark. It was still numb so he didn’t feel it.

Seraphina eventually let go of his arm and looked at him in thought. “I’m not going to heal the wound since that’s his job but I will take care of the hypothermia so you can start to rely on your own magic.” She explained as she placed a hand over Jack’s heart.

For a moment Jack didn’t know what would happen, but he suddenly felt a rush of power run through him like an electric shock. In his mind he could smell spring where everything thawed out but it only lasted for a few moments. Then she pulled her hand away with a smile and Jack felt almost alive again.

The numb feeling had retreated, which incidentally brought back the pain in his arm but he could feel his limbs again and he wasn’t so cold. “You’ll always be a little pale and under the normal body temperature but you’ve got the feeling back.” She smiled. Jack’s hair was still white as snow and his skin was still outrageously pale but he didn’t care.

It was then that Jack felt a small flutter in his chest. “My heart beat?” He asked and the woman nodded her head. “It’s your magic working. Your heart is now pumping the energy of the earth and the seasons through your body, keeping you alive with the power of the plants, wind, soil, animals…it will keep you strong so long as you never lose your contact with the life around you.” She explained in a soft tone.

Jack nodded his head in understanding. It felt amazing. It was like he was really alive again. “What about my bond with you?” He asked, knowing he was supposed to bond with Seraphina because she was Mother Nature.

She smiled when he asked, obviously glad he was learning. She turned him gently with her hands until he was facing the opposite direction and placed a hand over the back of his neck. For a moment he felt the same strong energy of the earth pouring into him and slowly a silvery-marking of a snowflake appeared on Jack’s skin.

It was placed above the spine at the brain stem where it could leak power into Jack whenever needed.

She took her hand away once more, tucking her hands in her sleeves and stepping away. Jack rubbed at the back of his neck interestedly, wondering what the mark looked like as he tried to feel it. It was barely visible and Bunny couldn’t help but give out a chuckle when the teen kept trying to turn his head to look at it.

While Jack was preoccupied she turned to Bunny with a more devious look in her eyes and spoke in a hushed tone. “I know your scent isn’t all over him just because you’re healing him.” She prodded in a knowing voice. Bunny gave her a frown, obviously tying to play if off as casual but his ears flattened against the back of his head.

“The bloke sleeps on me. Of course he’s gonna have my scent.” He defended, crossing his arms over his furred chest. He was standing at full height on his hind legs, obviously going to the more civilized appearance in front of Seraphina.

The woman raised an eyebrow at him with an equally knowing smile. “I know my father’s aiming for company with another spirit but I didn’t think you’d be developing affections for him.” She commented and Bunny only rolled his eyes. “Ah thought it wasn’t yer bowl of rice ta go sniffin’ in others affections.” He responded sourly.

Seraphina let out a noise of amusement. “I’ve known you since you were an _ankle-biter_ of a spirit, Aster. We’re good friends and I know a good opportunity when I see one. Jack’s already got a high respect for you.” She commented in a reassuring tone.

Bunny let out a sigh after a moment of contemplating her words. It was true. Seraphina always knew what was best for him and some company after so many years might help ease the still fresh pain of losing his entire family and race. But he wouldn’t push Jack into anything if he could. He’d just hope the kid would grow to like him as well and if he didn’t? Well they’d be good friends anyway.

“Somethin’ tells me you already know how this is gonna turn out, Ma.” He said, using the affectionate nickname he’d adopted for her over the years.

The woman smiled and turned away from him, attention going back to Jack who was throwing _snowballs_ at the wall. How the heck did the kid get snowballs in the first place? Bunny had no clue but he guessed it had to do with the kid’s winter magic.

Needless to say, Jack was boasting about what he could do with his newfound power. Seraphina was laughing with him and Bunny was watching them carefully from beside the fire so he could protect it from and wayward frost and snow.

Eventually, after Seraphina showed Jack a few tricks and explained how flight really worked in the technical terms, they were all sitting together beside the fire. Bunny and Seraphina answered Jack’s questions while the boy reeled them off one by one.

If the look on his face meant anything, Jack was excited to be so well versed in the whole seasonal spirit business.

“So what other spirits are there?” He asked, sitting cross legged on the ground with his staff resting in his lap. “I mean besides the seasonal spirits.” He clarified just in case.

Seraphina smiled, sitting cross legged as well but the fabric of her dress hiding that fact. “There are strong spirits that control natural disasters and elemental spirits. Most common are the spirits of the humans; both ones that protect villages and ethnic groups, as well as ones that the people believe in. There are spirits of love, happiness, and other emotions.  Then there are the spirits that protect children. Really there are hundreds of different kinds, and now that you are one you shall see them quite often in your travels.” The woman explained, leaving Jack’s eyes twinkling with childish wonder. He was still a child at heart, though responsibility was easily uncovered when you really looked at him.

“You mean I can leave the area?” He asked, surprised. He thought there had to be some perimeter or something. Though, more accurately, he’d never thought of leaving the area because for the longest time he couldn’t do it without being killed.

Bunny nodded his head this time. “Like I said, ah’m from another country.” He stated and instantly Jack was smiling. “That’s amazing.” He mused before looking towards Seraphina again. “So, are there any rules I’m supposed to follow? Like who to talk to?”

The woman raised a hand as she glanced towards the entrance of the burrow before she gestured in what would be the direction of Burgess. “Most humans cannot know for they usually cannot handle the knowledge well. Also summer spirits never take too lightly to winter spirits, so I’d avoid speaking with them.” She spoke as she looked back towards Jack.

The boy nodded. It was a lot to handle but he was doing quite well. “I guess Bunny and I are the protectors of Burgess then.” He thought aloud. Seraphina and Bunny both smiled at that fact, of course until a chilling sensation went over the earth and all three nature spirits bristled at the feeling.

“What is that…?” Jack muttered in confusion as she stood up, obviously trying to escape the direct contact with the feeling of the earth being so cold. It wasn’t the winter kind of cold that Jack enjoyed and now controlled but an unforgiving kind of emotional pain that sent all three of them into a emotional frenzy. It was like the earth was protesting.

Bunny seemed to understand the most out of all of them but Seraphina knew it was her father’s magic. “Kozmotis….” She muttered before her gaze snapped towards her Pooka friend. Bunny’s eyes were slightly clouding over and Seraphina knew they had to move away from the infected feeling before the nightmares washed over the two of her seasonal spirits.

“Move. We have to get away from this place while we can.” She warned as she reached for Jack and Bunny both. Jack and Seraphina moved to Bunny’s sides, helping him out of the Burrow and into the open. It was dark out still and the moon shined down on them in a protective sort of manner but it did nothing for the sickly feeling washing over the earth.

Jack held onto Bunny tightly when Seraphina pointed to the sky. The magical power Pitch was focusing on them was suffocating. “Aster, we can move you faster with the wind.” Seraphina said but the rabbit shook his head. He was unable to speak, obviously choking up on the nasty feeling surrounding them.

“The nightmares will come first, Aster. You know that. Then the fearlings, and then complete control if you don’t stop it. We need to get you out of here. You’re the most prone to it.” Seraphina spoke but Bunny kept shaking his head. “Damn it, Aster this isn’t the time to fall prey to your fear of heights!”

Jack gently pushed past her, his connection with the earth being the weakest because he was such a young spirit. Of anyone he’d be the least likely to fall into Pitch’s control. “Come on, Cottontail. Dig a tunnel and we’ll get out of here.” Jack urged, shaking his friend by his shoulders.

Bunny was slowly curling in on himself, reverting back to standing on four legs. Jack watched as the almost feral look in his eyes grew but he kept holding on. It was so familiar, the same blackness coming over his fur coat as he lost control to the animal inside him.

“Jack! Let go of him!” Seraphina shouted at him in warning but the winter spirit didn’t listen. Instead he held on tighter, arms wrapped around Bunny’s neck and shoulders. Jack shut his eyes tight, holding on for dear life and hoping that Bunny would wake up.

He ignored Seraphina’s shouts and cries before suddenly he felt the ground slip away from underneath him. It was gone, signaling Bunny’s summoning of a tunnel beneath their feet.

Panicking, Jack opened his eyes and with all his might threw his weight over Bunny’s back so he wouldn’t get crushed when they came in contact with the floor of the tunnel. Instantly Seraphina and the mountains disappeared from sight and the familiar sight of a tunnel met his eyes.

It was darker than the last ones he’d seen and he didn’t know where it was taking him. He knew Bunny wasn’t in his right mind by the way he kept throwing his head and trying to shake of Jack. It was like he didn’t know Jack was there.

Jack held on for dear life and eventually the tunnel opened up into a large seemingly underground cavern. It was expansive and he couldn’t see the end of it. For some reason Jack felt like at one point it had been full of life and happiness but now it reeked of the same sickly feeling that he had just been experiencing in the mountains.

Only one thing came to mind as he stared up at it from Bunny’s back.

 _The Warren_. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo, guys! What do you think? I'd love to hear. Honestly, that was a big change in plot for me from what I originally had planned. So we're taking a little detour from my plan.
> 
> Also, as for the fact that Bunny's affections for Jack have sort of been introduced here a little bit abruptly, or at least brought out directly. It was always kind of there. I'd love some feedback on that because I don't know if it came off awkward or anything and it wasn't how I wanted to get into it but this was my best option for the moment. 
> 
> Seraphina and Bunny are obviously best bros and any underlying affections (which are somewhat displayed in previous chapters, aka the worry and devotion to helping Jack) would be picked up on by her. Apologies that I had to explain some of that down here but I don't know how easy it is to tell from reading. If you had trouble, please inform me so I can reword some things if I need to.


	9. The Desolate and the Abandoned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack finds himself in the Warren and makes new discoveries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, guys, so sorry this didn't come quicker. I ended up doing a lot of things with my family while they were here. (Touring DC, Going to Gettysburg, getting lost in DC, spending ALL DAY in Gettysburg, you understand.) But they left this morning so I'll be back to normal. 
> 
> As for the chapter, happy happy fun times cuz we're in the Warren? Aha, no. You'll see. Also, for the people who thought that the rating might go up because Bunny's not in his right mind, sorry to disappoint. I would have loved for that to happen as well but it wasn't in my idea for the story. You get fluff anyway so be tamed. XD 
> 
> Thanks so much for waiting and all being such enthusiastic readers. You're great!

Jack held onto the fur of Bunny’s back like a lifeline, his eyes scanning over the sights of the Warren as he tried to understand as much of it as he could. He didn’t feel any wind and he didn’t think he’d be able to fly in the Warren either. It was completely underground and could only be led to by tunnels.

He would have kept staring had Bunny not let out a ferocious growl and shook his shoulders rapidly. Jack’s grip faltered and he flew off, landing harshly on the ground in a dull green patch of grass. With close inspection, the entire place was dusted over with black sand.

Jack didn’t have the time to look closely though before Bunny turned on him, eyes now a dark, dark green with a haze of grey over them. They weren’t the same spring-time fresh green that Jack was so used to.

The winter spirit let out a cry of surprise, holding his staff up to protect him just like he had before. Except, somehow, Jack didn’t think that’d work. Punching Bunny in the nose years before might have worked because Pitch had first taken control of him then, but now he’d had practice. He had time to perfect it.

All the same, Jack prayed to whatever god he could think of and in that moment he remembered the Man in the Moon. He didn’t know what the guy looked like or how powerful he was but the others spoke of him like he were to be revered and that was just what Jack would think of him as.

“Bunny, it’s me. You don’t have to hurt me. You’re not a monster. You’re not Pitch’s pawn.” Jack begged, his voice shaking as he tried to back away on his hands. Bunny only inched closer, menacing fang-like teeth bared and claws extended with bloodstains marring their color.

His fur was a dark, dark grey that reminded Jack of the sand he was surrounded by. It was infecting him, pulling at his mind and tearing at all of his morals. “Cottontail?” Jack asked, watching as his friend seemed to retreat into this beastly form and never come back.

Each step brought him closer, and closer until eventually Jack found himself completely engulfed by the rabbit’s presence. Bunny was standing over him, growling lowly and menacingly in his face as he stared him in the eye. Then with a startle, Bunny roared a thunderous roar in Jack’s face to frighten him.

Having no clue what to do, Jack fought instinct and let go of his staff, leaving it by his side. “...A-Aster?” Jack muttered, whispering it out barely after Bunny had stopped.

It seemed to echo through the air as the grey in Bunny’s eyes receded slightly, but not completely and confusion crowded the beast’s mind. The claws slowly retracted and his teeth closed shut in contemplation.

Jack’s breath had hitched in his throat and he’d gone even paler than before. The snowflake mark on the back of his neck tingled as what he felt to be Mother Nature pried at him yet Jack couldn’t get a clear message nor respond in his terror.

The pain in his wolf-bite was pounding all of a sudden, at nearly the same time Jack had felt that comforting, worried niggling in the back of his mind where he knew he was connected to Seraphina. The pain was so startling Jack woke from his frozen place below Bunny and reached his arm across his side, letting out a painful wince and pressed his hand over the wound.

It was outrageously painful now and it burned like a newly made brand. Jack didn’t understand, nor did he care, as he curled onto his side, protecting the injured arm from harm and preventing Bunny from seeing it. Jack couldn’t care less about the beast hovering above him now.

Jack would have forgotten his friend was there until suddenly he felt a furry rabbit nose brush against his neck, sniffing at him and nudging him back onto his back instead of his side. Jack yelped in surprise, being forcibly turned over for inspection by a less than sane version of his friend and companion.

Bunny continued sniffing him all over; first the left side of the neck, then the right, then behind his ear, under his chin, his high abdomen, his chest, his left shoulder, and then right shoulder. It was a very confusing process for Jack seeing as he was almost attacked and killed by his friend moments before and his arm felt like it was on fire.

The rabbit cared not for what Jack thought though. Instead its attention swiveled to the exposed bite mark marring Jack’s skin. It was redder than everywhere else, unlike earlier, but it was still mostly healed over.

Bunny’s instincts kicked in immediately, his nose nuzzling the arm for a moment before he began sniffing the wound, cleaning the wound. It was all a repeat of Jack’s first night with the rabbit in the burrow but ten times more intimate than allowed.

Yet Jack didn’t protest for two reasons. The first was that his wound was no longer stinging like hell but instead aching dully like before, and while Bunny’s tongue felt rough and it was awkward being _licked_ to health by a giant rabbit, Jack still liked that it didn’t hurt. The other reason was that Jack somehow found it comforting. Even though his friend wasn’t directly conscious, there was still some part of him protecting Jack from harm, even if that harm is himself.

Pitch couldn’t try and destroy that if he tried. Or so Jack assumed. Plus, it was the first time Jack had said Bunny’s name since he repeated it when the rabbit had first mentioned it. It was like some emotional break through.

Jack found himself praying back to the Man in the Moon with great respect. If the guy could answer his prayers like that and save him from immediate rabbit death, then hell Jack would do anything for him.

Eventually after a few minutes of being meticulously tended to by Bunny, Jack felt his mind trying to shut down involuntarily. It was like something was pushing him to sleep forcefully, or at least prodding him to. The boy fought it the best he could for a while, but his eyes closed once during a blink and didn’t open up until long later.

-o-

The next time Jack’s eyes opened he found himself in what looked like a burrow, though quite definitely not the one Bunny and he usually inhabited. It was older and the dirt was drier and there was less light. Jack could barely see anything. Carefully he felt around him, realizing his staff wasn’t in the burrow with him.

A small feeling of panic settled over him. He was lost in the dark with no way of protecting himself and he had no idea where Bunny was or if he was still in the right mind, or the semi-right mind. Jack could feel the aching in his arm returning and tried not to use it too much as he slowly got onto his hands and knees, feeling around him blindly.

Below him was a soft, moss-like surface though dried in some places like it weren’t able to grow. Jack figured he was in a nest. Bunny never had one in their old burrow but Jack figured that before he might.

Jack’s hands also found the remnants or more sand as he fumbled in the dark, groping around until he reached the walls. Determined to get back to his staff, Jack leaned against the wall with one hand and followed it in one direction, finding himself in a hall soon. The tunnels were lower than the burrow back in the mountain’s ceiling, and Jack wondered whether Pookas stood on their hind feet often or if it was really just an acquired trait.

Mulling over his thoughts and listening for any sign of life, Jack followed the tunnel as it led him upwards at a slow slope. Light flooded in from the top but Jack could tell it was the same, dull and grey light filling the Warren and that the tunnel wouldn’t lead him directly out.

Jack was correct, finding himself at the top of the tunnel within minutes. There was a stench in the air as he traveled upwards that got worse and worse. Jack couldn’t figure what it was. Instead his nose twitched in the air as he took in short bursts of it.

It reeked of the same scent Jack had sometimes smelled in the forest. It had this electric feeling jolting through it like it were alive, sentient, but also it smelled like something else and for some reason Jack felt like he wasn’t alone in those tunnels even though he could see there was no one behind him or in front of him now.

He felt like spirits were tugging and pulling at his clothes and occasionally he thought he’d hear the muffled cry of someone echoing through the earth. It was a terrible and discomforting feeling to be surrounded by so much death.

Jack ignored the creepy feeling in his spine and pushed onward, stepping out of the tunnel into an atrium like place with the dull light fading in through holes broken into the thinner walls. He could stand without hunching and he could see the remnants of an intelligent species in the objects around him.

There were dusted over blankets and fabrics covered by the dirt and dust and what looked like a kitchen almost, built into a room leading off from the main atrium. A broken table and abandoned belongings littered the floor. The earth was flaky and the loose dirt on top mixed with black sand.

The stench was quite obviously blood and rotting and from what Jack could tell, the Warren was like a ghost town turned cemetery. The feeling of death was everywhere, leaking from the walls and plants like the life that normally wafted off the world above him.

If this is what Pitch had done in his prime, Jack wondered what he could do if he had been able to feed off Jack’s power. Would he have turned the whole world into this? Would he have killed the people of Burgess and left it like the Warren?

Jack’s mind whirled in despair and his growing need to hold his staff became unbearable. The aching in his arm was a painful reminder that Bunny was still out of his mind, somewhere in the Warren or maybe he had taken off and left Jack there to die.

Slowly he proceeded through the remnants of some Pooka’s burrow, walking into another room that was branching off from the atrium. There was a window built into it but most of the walls were falling apart anyway, being held up by roots and rocks.

Jack found himself in what was like a living room. There was a place for a fire though it looked abandoned even before the centuries of being left to rot away like the rest of the Warren. Beautiful paintings displaying green pastures and gorgeous flowers hung limply from the walls. Jack stared around the mess in wonder at what it would have looked like in its prime.

It looked to be slightly messy aside from the already prevalent abandonment and maybe whoever lived there wasn’t too careful when it came to caring for their things. It looked like they lived alone.

Jack stumbled around the room, his hands traveling towards a book case long covered in dust and black sand. The pages of the books looked dry and aged but they weren’t decomposing horrendously. Jack reached for one of the leather bound books with utter care and pulled it away from its place. The book case creaked with disuse but didn’t falter otherwise.

Curiosity leaking from his features, Jack held the book in his hands and read the faded name pressed into the aged leather. “Eldon.” Jack read aloud, his mind wondering who might have been Eldon. Confused by the name he opened the book’s cover with caution and looked down on the faded and cracking paint.

It was an artist’s book. Each painting was delicate and cared for in its time and they were obviously treasured. Most of the paintings displayed scenery of the Warren’s plants and a colorful river. Others showed more of Bunny’s kind. There was a lot of children, or more accurately, kits painted into the scenes than anything.

Then Jack noticed as the paintings took on a common theme. Almost always there was one kit in the painting, one with greyish blue fur and green eyes who painted just like Eldon. Sometimes another Pooka, older, would be with the kit. It was evident she was a female by her more lithe form and the softer actions she seemed to take. Her coat was a chocolate brown with dark brown markings that reminded Jack of Bunny.

Then the paintings became less focused, messier and less detailed. It reminded Jack of a man going blind and he guessed that maybe that was the case. But in each painting the kit got older and older until there was no more of the female Pooka and just an adult-like Pooka whose appearance greatly resembled Bunny. There were a few more paintings after the used-to-be kit had grown up, most of them depressing and dark because of their lack of detail and blobs of color.

Then there was a note that read in a fancy but male handwriting, “ _In loving memory of Eldon and Holly Bunnymund”,_ and below it a small pencil sketch of a pair of Pookas seated beside each other on their haunches and between them the same small kit that Jack thought was Bunny.

Jack only had one guess. Eldon had to be Bunny’s father and Holly had to be his mother. Both were obviously loving and supportive and it seemed that they’d died before Pitch’s attack on the Warren. It was lucky they didn’t have to suffer but Jack still felt pain for his friend’s loss.

Sighing in frustration, Jack set the book back on the shelf with a depressed feeling building in his stomach. He felt like he was once again standing in a graveyard. He turned slowly, backing away from the bookshelf only to see he wasn’t alone.

Sitting in the room was a small lone rabbit. It wasn’t a Pooka, not by any means. But it was definitely a rabbit.

Jack’s eyes widened in surprise as his body went slightly stiff in the presence of the room’s new occupant. The rabbit was grey with white tipped ears and feet. All of its markings were white, reminding Jack somewhat of Bunny but he knew it wasn’t exactly similar.

The eyes were a blazing blue color and watching Jack with a sort of interest. It flicked its ears once before turning its head towards the entrance. Jack followed its gaze, looking towards the aged wood of the door hanging slightly off its hinges.

As he was watching the door, the rabbit hopped over towards it until it was sitting directly in front of it. It flicked its ears again, obviously beckoning Jack towards opening the door. Jack watched, his feet practically moving of their own accord as he stepped after the rabbit.

It waited until he was about a yard away before it jumped, disappearing through the door like a ghost. Jack flinched in shock, not quite understanding and instantly he ran forward the last few steps and pulled the door open to see the rabbit waiting at the edge of a long abandoned garden surrounding the burrow.

Jack didn’t spare many glances towards his surroundings but followed after the rabbit as it disappeared down an overgrown path. Jack passed many dilapidated burrows with the dirt walls caving in and many areas almost completely dusted over with the black sand.

The winter spirit’s heart pounded in anticipation as he chased after the rabbit. It was several paces ahead, moving quickly up a large hill. Jack had followed it through small tunnels and had observed many stone structures built above ground, including some odd oval shaped rocks with moss growing over them. Some had odd carvings, many that Jack couldn’t see fully through the overgrown plants.

It was scary almost, seeing everything covered in the black sand and abandoned for what Jack knew to be centuries. The stench in the air he had smelled before kept getting worse and the lighting never got brighter. The atmosphere was thick with a feeling of despair that Jack couldn’t shake off.

The only thing that seemed truly alive in the place was the rabbit he was chasing, but even then the thing seemed to go straight through objects. As Jack followed it, he noticed the fur had a slight glow to it, shaping its form as it ran through the shadows and plants.

Jack watched as it perched itself at what seemed to be the crest of the large hill they had been running up.  The rabbit was perched under a stone archway and as Jack got closer, he could see the painted scenes on the stones. The walls on either side of the archway were covered in faded, beautiful paintings.

Heaving in a deep breath, Jack took the last few steps to the top of the hill and observed the structure. The rabbit waited for him, flicking its ears a few times as he observed the paintings.

They were elaborate depictions of the Pooka race. Each Pooka was painted with a certain kind of grace that even Eldon’s paintings didn’t seem to embody. From one side of the archway, the rock wall depicted happiness, prospering…and then it began to fade into darkness. It depicted black, undefinable forms flooding in from tunnels, grabbing at the Pookas and tearing at their bodies.

No one was spared. Kits, Does, and Bucks were all murdered and suffocated by the black forms. Some of the Pooka had converged in a large group of warriors, standing at the base of a large hill in front of what seemed to be a wall of tunnels leading away from the Warren. The black sand poured from it like hundreds of small waterfalls and pooled on the ground in front of the Pookas who seemed to be decked out in war gear.

Standing in one of the center tunnels where the sand was pouring through stood one lone figure that Jack recognized with a spine chilling shiver. Pitch was standing there, arms raised and sending his black sand in their ever changing forms at the Pooka warriors. What seemed to be hundreds of skilled men and women seemed to die until there was only one left.

The Pooka was grey and held boomerang like weapons. But he was struck down too, taking a blow to the neck where he must have bled out and died. Jack recognized with painful clarity that the Pooka who had been the last to defend the other innocent Pookas who were unable to fight to be Bunny.

So to know Bunny had woken up to death…failure. Jack wondered how the rabbit really took it.

Horrified by the painted pictures on the mural, Jack looked to the archway where words were carved into the stone. Delicately carved in an ominous sort of nature was the phrase “for the thousands”.

Jack could practically feel the sadness and guilt dripping from the words. He knew Bunny had painted the mural and carved the words into the age old stone. Jack could only guess what was on the other side of the archway.

He looked down, facing the ghostly rabbit sitting at his feet. It looked forward through the small tunnel of the archway. The tunnel was around three yards deep and at the other end of it Jack could see the same boomerang-like weapon from the mural stabbed into the earth. Resting around it were several other things that had been seen in the mural, like a bandolier and arm guards.

The rabbit in front of him hopped forward, stopping at the other end of the small arched tunnel. Jack followed it slowly, each step he took sending him chills up his legs and through his body until he stood at the other end, his eyes recognizing the area.

In front of him was the valley leading towards the hundreds of tunnels leading away from the Warren. It was the same one in the mural and it was obvious this was where the smell had come from. Jack’s nose twitched and his stomach lurched at the sight.

At the bottom of the hill where Jack stood in the archway, strewn across the valley were hundreds of skeletons. More of the oval shaped rocks were found across the battlefield, but cracked and often broken by time. The black sand seemed to be everywhere.

The entire place reeked of death and blood. Jack could barely hold himself back from vomiting. His hand slapped over his mouth and his other arm wrapped around his stomach. No plants were growing in the area but vines growing up the sides of the walls where the tunnels stemmed from.

It was a desolate graveyard and battlefield. Pooka skeletons sat abandoned in the dust of the sand, bones cracking from old age and the air. The weapons lay strewn about, most broken.

At his feet, the rabbit looked over the scene with resignation and Jack heard a soft voice speak through the stillness of the air. “Kozmotis Pitchiner will destroy your home just as he did ours. He preys on Aster Bunnymund because of his guilt ridden mind and plagues him with nightmares to take control of him and toy with him. If you can free him from the hold, you can save your people.”

Jack stared around blankly as the voice continued, his eyes eventually landing on the rabbit sitting in front of him. It was staring at him with a serious expression on its face, its eyes now locking with Jack’s.

“Use your ice magic to send Pitchiner back to his domain. His realm can be found underground in the forests near your village. If you can trap him there, the lives of your people will continue on.” The voice echoed through Jack’s mind and Jack watched as the rabbit slowly disappeared into the earth, replacing itself with a flower.

The flower was situated right in front of the boomerang weapon and other Pooka war materials. Jack crouched down, reaching his hands towards the aged boomerang until his fingers wrapped around it and he tugged it from the earth.

If he was going to help Bunny, he might as well bring him something to remind him of home. Without another thought, Jack gathered up the other things and wrapped them in his cloak until he began to stare down at the valley once more.

Still confused on how to do what he was told, Jack looked back towards the walls of tunnels and saw that over them were names of places. Jack ran down the hill as quickly as he could, running across the valley and dodging the skeletons of the Pooka warriors to get to the walls with the tunnels.

As he ran across the field, frost slowly formed over the ground he touched and in response, it quickly melted away to be replaced with green grass and flowers.

Jack reached the wall where he stared up, reading the carved names. He had to find a tunnel leading to where Burgess was. Luckily, before Jack could face the trouble of searching for the right tunnel, he remembered the place where Pitch had been standing in the mural.

The rabbit had said that Pitch’s domain was near Burgess, so he had to come from that tunnel because it was where his domain was. Jack smirked at his victory and began climbing the walls until he found the tunnel where no sand was. It was in the exact middle of the rows of arched tunnels.

Smiling, Jack stood at the entrance and turned to the field below him. “I’ll take care of him.” Jack said to no one, but at the same time he heard a wind blow from inside the Warren. Jack knew there had been no wind before, but it was like a burst of life had gone through him as his hair blew in the breeze. The Warren seemed almost alive.

A laugh escaped his throat and he turned, running down the tunnel as quickly as possible with the boomerang and other items in hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes Bunny just abandoned Jack in the middle of his nest back in the Warren because Bunny is that lame. XD But we have to keep in mind Pitch still has control of Bunny so whoopsie, Bunny's off doing angsty things cuz he's a poopoo head and cant tend to his mate XD
> 
> **IMPORTANT NOTE**  
> I feel pretty awk about having to give Aster's parents names but I kinda needed it for this. Eldon starts with an 'e' because E. Aster Bunnymund :p and Holly is just a plant name since I think all bunnies are named after plants. Eldon means several things but Elder and "From the Hill" are ones that I liked best from it. Both are kind of an inside joke for me. I hope you don't have issues with it.


	10. Threatened and Rescued

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jack experiences some of Bunny's troubles and people seem to like appearing from no where. *Edit* Important note in bottom of chapter for after reading.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, meant to get this one up sooner as well but it seems good things happened while it waited XD I gained some new readers which is good but I seem to be converting BlackIce shippers to Jackrabbit shippers...????? Idk it's not even like hardcore shipping right now. But I also had some people panic on what's happening next and a few people that actually thought it was over with the last chapter. (which is so wrong)
> 
> No guys, this story is basically an unplanned, we're going as far as we go and wherever we go sort of thing. I'm a writer who likes a general outline, things I want to cover, and those things change and develop over time so I really don't plan chapters or what goes into them. I just know seven pages is what I shoot for. :D
> 
> So many thanks to readers, commenters, and kudo leavers. You make my day. Also this chapter is the best for using "and a wild ____ appears" because some people really like doing that this chapter. xD

When Jack emerged from the tunnel, he noticed several things. The first of which was that he was surrounded by the very deep forest where no one ever ventured to. Not once in Jack’s life time that he could remember did a man enter the woods and return alive.

It was frightening to think of that but he knew what caused it and reminded himself that Pitch was the cause of all of the death. Sure, there had to be a few causes for dead travelers before but his reign in the area sure had bolstered the numbers.

Other than the fact he was surrounded by the woods, Jack noticed that the air seemed to be completely still and that he wasn’t near any roads. Jack didn’t think that was too odd, seeing as the forest hadn’t been traveled in over a decade almost. But the biggest thing Jack noticed was that there was black sand everywhere. It was shifting slightly, slowly, like it was alive.

Jack didn’t feel alone. He didn’t feel comforted, but he sure as hell didn’t feel alone. There was something in the woods with him, watching him, following him.

He tried to stifle his fear, knowing that Pitch could probably sense it wherever he was. Slowly Jack proceeded away from the mouth of the tunnel and watched as it disappeared; filling in with dirt in a matter of seconds so that nothing could reenter the hole.

Jack watched as his only escape disappeared and tried to sense for anything, using the earth around him and trying some of the things Seraphina said he could do now that he was connected directly with the nature around him.

It didn’t help. He felt the same chilling sensation as before and as he tried to push past it, it grew and in instants, Jack was holding his free hand to his forehead. He groaned in pain, his eyes shut tightly as images invaded his mind. All around him the sand seemed to shuffle forward, centering on him.

Jack opened one eye a crack to look at the sounds of the sand moving but all he saw was a forest full of dead bodies, children he knew and villagers he’d spent his entire life with. His vision had bled red, and then it flashed blue until everything seemed to settle in a disturbing black and white picture.

He had no idea what to do, his hand flew from his hand and both eyes opened widely at the sight. There were bodies everywhere and the same stench from the Warren had returned. He recognized North and Sandy’s dead bodies, their eyes locked on him and their arms outstretched in a disturbing manner.

Jack kept backing away, almost dropping his staff and Bunny’s weapons. He kept backing away until he backed into a tree, and instantly he yelped in fear, turning on the tree immediately.

Except when he turned, the bark had morphed into a twisted and torn version of Seraphina, her voice echoing in a dead sort of sound. Jack shook his head, continuously backing away until he turned again at the feeling of something tugging at his cloak. Instantly his eyes were filled with the sights of the battlefield from the Warren except the bodies were still bloodied and had not yet deteriorated to skeletons.

“ _Jack…_ ” A voice echoed through the forest and he lifted his gaze, watching to see his sister hanging from the mouth of a wolf. Blood dripped from her clothes and black sand seemed make up the parts of her body in the wolf’s mouth. Her eyes were dead and glazed over as she reached for him. “ _You failed me, Jack_ …” Her usually sweet voice whispered.

Terrified, Jack shook his head once more. He knew this wasn’t true. There was something extremely wrong with these pictures. He shook in his bones, grip tightening on the weapons in his arms and the staff in his hand. “Please.” He begged, looking up as he tried to figure out a way to escape the nightmare.

This wasn’t real. There was no way.

The hands of dead bodies reached up and grabbed his legs, his clothes, his arms, failing to get a solid grip but continuously trying to grab at him. Jack looked back down from the sky to see his sister dissipate in the wolf’s mouth completely, falling apart into black sand.

The sand morphed into the form of a skeleton, slithering forward until it stood directly in front of Jack. Its bony hands reached up and took hold of his clothes, leaning ever closer as it pushed at him.

At the same time, Jack heard screaming. He didn’t know where from but it was distinctly familiar. “Please!” The voice begged as it continued ringing in Jack’s mind. “Jack!” The voice was a boys, someone’s he heard constantly.

Jack couldn’t place it until he suddenly felt a slap across his face and he fell back, his mind swirling as he tried to understand what was happening around him. The grass wasn’t covered with dead bodies but just snow and branches and the skeleton disappeared to be replaced by a very terrified Jamie Bennett.

Jack’s eyes widened as he spotted the boy, looking down at his hands to see that he had been the one holding Jamie. There had been no skeletons, no dead Emma, no dead family. It was just in his head. It was all in his head.

He must have connected too much with the earth…and he must have felt what Bunny felt.

“Oh my god.” Jack muttered, fumbling to get up. He dropped Bunny’s weapons, instead crawling on his hands and knees to Jamie who looked very bewildered and upset. He had tears in his eyes and he was curled in on himself, staring at Jack wildly.

Jamie’s gaze hardened in fear the moment Jack got any closer than a few feet. “Jamie, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. It’s Pitch. I swear I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was just…I thought…” Jack scrambled to explain but the child he knew so well for so long only stared at him.

It was horrible seeing that look in his eyes. Was this was Bunny felt when Jack had brought him back to his senses? Was this what Bunny saw so often? Jack could completely understand why and how Bunny would kill the things he thought were attacking him.

Jamie just continued watching him, shaking in fear. Except something felt wrong about the look Jack was getting. It wasn’t centered on him. It was trailing off behind him. Confused, Jack turned around and looked to see the huge black form of a fearling.

Instantly Jack shot to his feet, his grip tightening on his staff. He immediately planted himself between the fearling and Jamie, just as he had with the wolf before. “Jamie, get out of here.” Jack ordered, obviously afraid as well. He’d only ever seen the fearlings in the paintings back at the Warren. He’d never seen the creatures alive.

The hulking beast was much more terrifying than Bunny could ever have been, nightmare infected or not. It wasn’t of any real form, crossed between a wolf, bear, and some other unknown creatures Jack had never seen before. Its skin dripped with a black tar substance and it seemed to radiate fear from itself like Pitch.

It had great big fangs and cold, dark, empty eyes that watched him and followed his every move. It had bulging muscles, sharp claws, and a look in its eye that said it was dead set on attacking Jack with all its might.

Jack didn’t think he’d be able to handle it.

“GO!” Jack ordered, turning his head for a second towards Jamie who as still lying completely frozen on the floor. The boy nodded his head once, shooting up from the ground in moments. The boy reached forward for Bunny’s weapons, giving Jack a knowing look before he ran off into the woods. Jack didn’t get to watch long enough to see the boy disappear away.

Hell, Jack didn’t think he’d survive an attack from this thing for more than two minutes tops. How Bunny had been able to fend off an army of these by himself for god knows how long, Jack didn’t know. But he sure did feel a new respect for the rabbit as he stared up at the beast.

An eerie growl escaped its mouth and it charged, its eyes locked on Jack’s as he stared up at it. Jack jumped out of the way, his grip on his staff tightening as he pointed it towards the fearling’s head with poor aim and summoned up a short burst of ice.

The thing didn’t feel it as a frost settled on its black, slippery skin and it continued moving forward, getting ready to pounce.

Jack panicked, ducking under it and avoiding claws just barely as it jumped over him. The creature snarled in frustration as Jack disappeared underneath him and escaped the other way. It turned on its haunches, slashing a clawed hand out towards him and narrowly missing Jack’s leg.

The winter spirit heaved in deep breaths, his heart pounding in his chest. So maybe finding Pitch’s lair would be harder than imagined. The forest _was_ infested with creepy, life threatening minions of the guy.

He’d barely made it five feet from where the hole had been from the Warren and he’d already attacked Jamie and started a fight with a fearling.

He stared up at the beast as it prowled forward, taking slow steps that made Jack long for the safety of the burrow back in the mountains where he could curl up beside Bunny and feel saved from the world. But Jack knew that wouldn’t happen. Not any time soon.

“Get away from me, you big brute!” Jack yelled, waving his staff at it and hardening his gaze. He wouldn’t let himself get killed by this thing. He was going to find Pitch’s lair and seal the bastard away in there for good.

Yet that seemed so hard to do and Jack knew it. He would have to if he wanted to protect his sister and the villagers of Burgess.

So, determined to find the entrance to Pitch’s home, Jack turned on his heels and ran from the fearling as it followed after him. He surveyed the ground, looking for any entrance to a cave or something. Maybe Pitch had a burrow like Bunny? Though, Jack doubted that.

He missed a few swipes from the fearling’s claws and after what seemed like hours to Jack, the winter spirit spotted an abandoned bed frame in the middle of the forest. It was beaten down and broken, and below it was a small tunnel.

Obviously that had to be it.

Jack smirked at his victory and called upon the wind to lift him up, and within moments he was flying towards the hole in the ground.

The fearling tried to follow after him but Jack disappeared into the hole within seconds, leaving the beast behind.

As Jack slid down the tunnel, he became highly aware that he was entering the belly of the beast. Who knew how many fearlings were in Pitch’s lair or what he’d find. He could stumble right into another graveyard for all he knew.

But instead of a hole filled with fearlings and dead bodies, Jack found himself landing in a palace like place that had somehow been placed underground. Everything was a dark colored stone, and carved into pointed structures. Everything was slanted at an odd angle, and Jack didn’t want to look over the edges of the stone platforms and stairways.

Hanging from the ceiling of the cave-like palace were hundreds of intricately designed cages, suspended completely in air. The atmosphere was still and frightening, much like Pitch himself.

Jack hadn’t thought it would be too different but something about the place was like a prison and it wasn’t because there were cages everywhere. It felt like a prison that maybe Pitch might lock himself in, not others. Confused at the odd feeling, Jack slowly ventured forward. His bare feet met the cool stone, sending chills up his spine.

The fearling didn’t follow after him. Jack guessed it might have gone off to warn Pitch of Jack’s entrance to his domain.

As Jack walked forward through the place, he could hear footsteps echoing through the silence of the caverns. It was empty from what he could see, so he had no idea if it was an echo of water dropping or really the presence of someone.

Jack felt like he was alone, but he couldn’t check with his powers.

Instead he went on a whim, venturing farther into the darkness. It was dank, cold, and uninviting but something about it all intrigued Jack. The more and more he went in, the more and more he began to question who Pitch really was.

Bunny had told him about how Pitch had been a normal ordinary man until the fearlings possessed and killed him. Even in death, Pitch was controlled by the fear-driven monsters. He’d killed his own daughter in the frenzy, a daughter he didn’t think Pitch could have taken care of. But what did Jack know? Pitch could have been a wonderful, understanding father.

For all Jack knew, Pitch could still be that man. Somewhere deep down in the dark recesses of his blackened soul, Pitch could be something other than Pitch Black with fear and deceit. He could be more than a child-scaring boogeyman. Pitch could be a man who taught his children sensibility, and cared for them. He could have been like North, dedicated to children like no other.

What bothered Jack most was that he’d never know exactly who Pitch was. Kozmotis Pitchiner was a tortured soul that lingered from darker, older times.

Jack felt an anger well up in him as he looked around the darken pathways and at the suspended cages. Pitch had killed the Pooka race. He’d taken Bunny away from his friends and his people. Bunny could have had a mate, kits, and lived happily ever after if the fearling-possessed killer hadn’t turned his maddened mind onto the Warren.

Pitch had killed the innocent. If Jack could see a good person in Pitch, then the man would have to have proven it by fighting the control of the fearlings. He should have denied the creatures the ability to take the lives of the hundreds that lived in the Warren, elderly and young.

His anger seemed to radiate off of him, blinding his senses as suddenly the supposed footsteps stopped and above him a voice rained down in the darkness. “My, my, Jack. Such anger isn’t good for a boy your age.” The sickeningly familiar voice spoke from above.

Jack whipped his head up, glaring upwards at Pitch. “Let the people of Burgess go, Pitch.” Jack yelled back, watching as the man disappeared out of sight. The winter spirit fumbled, his eyes searching around him for where the man could have disappeared to.

Then he turned on his heels, looking directly behind him. Back down the path where he’d come, Pitch stood several yards away with his hands behind his back and a smug smile on his face. “Why would I do that, Jackie?” The man questioned.

Instantly Jack sprang forward, running at the man but he walked towards the edge of the walkway, disappearing under it and reappearing behind Jack once more. “Pitch!” Jack yelled in frustration, pointing his staff at the new placement of the man.

“You seem to think I’m the cause of all your troubles. You don’t see that the bane of your existence is that infernal rabbit.” Pitch spoke, his auditor skills working into motion. If anyone ever said that Pitch couldn’t sway a crowd by speaking, well, they’d be lying.

Jack scowled, watching as the man disappeared and reappeared elsewhere again. “Bunny’s only causing trouble because you’re the one taking control of him.” Jack pointed, anger filling his tone. How dare the guy actually push his actions off onto Bunny?

“Bunny? Is that what you call him? How cute. But what would you do if that rabbit killed the people of Burgess? Or maybe just Jamie Bennett? Or perhaps even Emma?” Pitch asked, his tone turning cold and menacing. Jack flinched at the very thought of it. Bunny wouldn’t do it. Bunny would hold himself back, unlike Pitch.

Jack shook his head instantly. “Where’s Bunny.” He didn’t ask it but more stated it. “Where is he?”

Pitch let out a low, cruel laugh and disappeared again before Jack could charge at him once more. His voice echoed around the cavern. “Your rabbit is none of your concern. He’s in his natural, animalistic state. He’ll take care of himself.” Pitch’s tone practically emulated his smirk in his words.

Jack let out a noise mixed of anguish and frustration. “Tell me where he is Pitchiner!” He yelled, flying upwards off the walkway and around the many other levels of stairs and paths that practically connected to nowhere.

He kept spotting glimpses of Pitch or his shadow. But when Jack mentioned the man’s last name, his real name, something seemed to change.

And anger filled the room and Jack waited, turning around continuously as he pivoted on his heels. Where was the nightmare king?

Jack didn’t have a long time to contemplate the answer before it was given to him directly. He felt his shirt get grabbed tightly by an intrusive fist and he was tugged towards a much taller, much older, and much more frightening man.

Pitch sneered down at him. “I wouldn’t dare call me that.” The man snarled in obvious disdain. Jack watched him, eyes wide before he began to see what was happening. “What? You don’t go by Kozmotis anymore? Is it because you killed your daughter? You allowed yourself to kill the one thing in your life you should have loved most?” Jack asked, prodding at the man. Maybe he could get the better of the elder male’s anger.

The male’s eyes darkened quickly as he pulled Jack closer, his other hand raised. “You insolent brat.” Pitch commented, about ready to slap Jack across the face. Jack winced at the hand’s presence, knowing he was ready to strike.

He shut his eyes, preparing for the stinging pain.

-o-

Bunny had been so utterly confused when he went back to his nest in the Warren. He’d been out, patrolling the grounds and the tunnels to make sure his mate wouldn’t be disturbed or attacked. It was a common thing, seeing as the place constantly smelled of death from a rather large assault made by Pitch and the Fearlings.

At first he’d thought Jack to be a threat too. The boy kept calling him things, thing she didn’t recognize until suddenly his almost deaf ears seemed to pick up the name ‘Aster’. Something stirred inside him, shaking dust out of his fur as he began to slightly pull himself back to his senses.

He used to be called Aster. That was his name. He was called that.

Who was this boy who knew his name? Who was this intrusive little pest who probably aimed for nothing more than to steal from the Warren and dishonor the dead there?

Bunny had to find out, so when he leant down to sniff the boy’s neck, searching for any recognizable scent, and when he found his own scent covering the boy he realized for what reason the winter spirit was there.

Bunny was normally hostile to winter spirits, he hated them. But something about this one was different and now he could accept that seeing as the boy was covered in Bunny’s scent from nearly head to toe. Then the boy began to feel a pain, and Bunny began to worry. At the back of his mind he prodded at the presence of the boy, looking for any marking that he had bonded with him and when he found the throbbing bite mark, he knew he’d succeeded.

This was his mate. He had no idea why he couldn’t remember him or who he really was but he was already Bunny’s property, so be it. Bunny had then taken him back to his nearly long forgotten burrow and left him there until he could return with the assurance his mate wouldn’t be disturbed or harmed.

But he never expected to find his mate had disappeared completely on his own. At first Bunny thought he might have been taken but there was no scent other than Jack’s.

Then he thought the boy had some kind of tunnel-like transportation as Bunny’s but no winter spirit ever did. His question wasn’t left unanswered for long when he found the path of Jack’s scent leading up into the higher parts of the burrow and towards the other rooms.

Jack had ventured away from the nest and into the living area for a while, and then he left through the door and ventured up the path towards the main tunnel system. But Bunny knew what lay between the rest of the Warren and those tunnels.

What in the world had possessed his mate...?

But then as Bunny frantically followed the path, his mind in a frenzy to find Jack, he realized that there were traces of Pitch everywhere. His presence seemed to fall off of Jack like his own scent and it marred Jack’s natural musk as Bunny began picking up his pace.

It didn’t take longer than a few moments before he’d noticed the loss in the weapons he’d drove into the ground at the gravesite and Jack’s trail leading off into the tunnels towards Burgess, and more importantly, Pitch’s lair.

-o-

Jack held his breath, awaiting the blow but it never came. Instead he opened one eye to look up at Pitch as glared back down at him with a contemplative look. “It’s not worth it now to discipline you.” Pitch muttered, and Jack furrowed his eyebrows.

“Like you ever could…” He mumbled under his breath, glancing the opposite way as he fully expected to be released but instantly Pitch’s anger returned and his hand was back where it was and he seemed to be _seething_. “Why you little-,” He was cut off before he could ever finish.

A large beast, with fur a dark grey color, pounced at the two. Jack originally thought it might be a fearling but he suspected wrong when he spotted the elongated ears and buck rabbit teeth.

A roar echoed through the caverns as Pitch scrambled to let go of Jack and get out of the way. He may have been in control, or so Jack thought, but Bunny didn’t seem to be listening all that well. He yelped in a pansy-like sort of fear and dodged Bunny as the beast went to tear him to shreds.

But Pitch was gone within moments.

Meanwhile, Jack heaved in deep breathes, holding his staff tightly in his grasp as he leaned onto it, using it for full support. He had not expected that and thank god he seemed to get Bunny back on his side because he really didn’t appreciate getting eaten by a giant, supposedly herbivore, rabbit.

He was extremely thankful for the save, seeing as he didn’t get punched in the face by Pitch, which in all honesty probably wouldn’t have hurt as much as getting eaten alive. But, Jack would still choose a death by Bunny over a death by Pitch any day. Something about the rabbit was calming, no matter the circumstance.

Bunny turned around on his haunches when he was sure Pitch was no longer there and he walked forward towards his mate. Jack was now crouching down, barely on his feet as he tried to calm himself down.

Knowing just how Jack felt, Bunny nuzzled his nose against his mate’s cheek once more before pulling him into a ragged, more animal-like hug. It wasn’t like the humanoid kinds that Bunny would give him while standing up but rather a more four legged one.

Jack didn’t seem to mind. He was thanking whatever god he believed in at the moment for saving his life. That which, in a technical case, wasn’t particularly true considering he was dead but he guessed the afterlife counted too.

At that moment, all Jack wanted to do was hold onto Bunny and get out of Pitch’s lair. He wanted to be safe, back in their burrow with fresh cooked fish and Seraphina to laugh with. But Jack knew they were a long time off from that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed it. I meant for more plot here but it ended up getting a little more 'lets experience some of this and that and hell Jack shall get tormented by trillions of things popping out of nowhere because life is like Pokemon.
> 
> ***IMPORTANT EDIT/NOTE*** I seem to be confusing some readers on whether Jack had been marked as Bunny's mate from the beginning which is highly incorrect. Bunny, or confused Bunny, has no clue what to think of Jack at first because he cant remember him in that state so when he investigates and finds his scent on him (from sleeping on each other) and the bite mark that displays a bond between the two (only purpose is for healing), he believes Jack to be his mate. Though, Bunny in his right mind would not be thinking that because he knows that the bond is only for healing. Anyway, hope that clears up any confusion. I have several confused readers on two different sites so this should help. :D


	11. Loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack finds Jamie and returns to Burgess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh this took longer than I wanted. But the bad news is, this weekend (leaving early Friday morning) I'll be going down to look at Colleges and properties in Virginia aka, roadtrip. I'll be with a friend of mine the entire time I'm there so breaks look minimal and besides, any free time goes to THE WOLVERINE. ahaha, sorry guys but Hugh Jackman and his part as Logan are realllllly close to home here. 
> 
> In other notions, I want to remind everyone that QWERTYbee and her story "Caught" were the biggest inspiration for me and that the setting and original idea came from her. I give her the credit for this. :) 
> 
> On the last note, THINGS ARE GETTING INTENSE. We've still got a few chapters to go but we're coming to the close here. :D So stay tuned! I've also been brewing up another Jackrabbit idea which I thought of while designing this original story I'm working on. It involves hobos who may or may not be Jack. Idk, my newest original character for my own story is practically a hobo. THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE KUDOS AND COMMENTS I LOVE YOU GUYS! <3

Jack had many problems to deal with. One of which being the fact that Bunny was now constantly under a sort of trance that Pitch had placed on him and while he was no longer overly hostile, he was still extremely out of his right mind and which, in Jack’s case, was very disconcerting since he needed Bunny to help him with the whole ‘trap Pitch’ ordeal.

He was at a loss. How had Bunny even shaken off the control in the first place? Jack had only one clue and it involved moving which Jack didn’t think he could get Bunny to let him do. Not in the current state he was in.

After closer inspection, Jack had found that there were several injuries all over Bunny’s body, leaking blood into his fur. They were healing, but they weren’t healing fast enough. Jack guessed it was the fearlings.

Bunny kept trying to get him to stand still, but Jack wasn’t going to listen to that. Instead he got up and started looking around the seemingly underground cavern palace as he looked for an exit. The way he came seemed dangerous but he doubted there were any other ways to get out so, he had to do what he had to do.

Behind him, Bunny limped along, constantly trying to get in front of him, block him from anything, and he kept giving him random sniffs to the hand or something. Jack guessed it was to make sure he was okay but he couldn’t be sure what any real actions meant from the rabbit at the current moment.

Somewhere along the way of maneuvering the maze of Pitch’s palace, Jack’s arm began throbbing again in pain. The bite was almost completely healed but it seemed to be regressing slightly while Bunny had lost control of his mind.

Jack wondered how connected they really were by the mark but brushed off the thought when he found a small passage leading upwards. It was much alike to the other tunnel entrance but smaller, more abandoned and riddled with disuse. Jack enjoyed finding something like that because it meant Pitch’s fearlings and himself wouldn’t have remembered it.

It didn’t take long for Jack to get up the tunnel, forcing Bunny along with him. Each step, more blood dripped from Bunny’s wounds and Jack could smell the tinny scent of iron in the air every time he leaned in his friend’s direction.

It was more than disconcerting, seeing as Jack had been healed by Bunny but he couldn’t easily return the favor. Jack had no clues as to how the rabbit had done it in the first place and he was mad the guy hadn’t taught him how to do so in the first place.

But Jack couldn’t linger on that fact as he urged his friend with him through the woods. There was a significant lack of black sand in the area which meant they’d be less detected. Jack had figured the sand here was sentient, rather than in the Warren. It was an extension of either Pitch or the fearlings which were both connected already so it seemed that didn’t matter all too much.

Jack just hoped they could make it clear of the woods and find Seraphina. She would be able to help heal and fix Bunny if anything and Jack was worried about how she’d handled it when they’d fallen through the tunnel and into the Warren.

For a long while, Jack and Bunny just walked through the thin layers of snow. It was less in the woods than in the valley. Eventually Jack realized he had no idea where he was and tried to get Bunny to wait for him as he flew up through the branches to see over the tree line. But the rabbit got impatient and paced around the tree he was standing on until he came down, growling what Jack guessed to be threats.

Jack ignored him for the most part, taking note that they were going in generally the right direction. They were heading towards the mountain range but more towards where the river stemming off from the lake fed into the ravine. Opposite from Burgess but still in the same general area, Jack assumed.

Eventually he dropped down from the tree after taking special note of their direction and he landed harshly on the snow covered ground only to get tackled by a very upset Bunny. Jack had just touched the ground with his feet when he felt a weight slam into his shoulder and he was being checked over again, nudged, poked at, and eventually Jack received what may have been a warning bite to the area around his shoulder had he not flailed and got the rabbit off.

Jack knew what that meant and that meant he was supposed to submit. No way in hell was he submitting.

Bunny seemed surprised when Jack smacked him with his staff, freezing part of the fur on face to get him off but he didn’t react wildly or anything. It was probably a smart thing too because Jack could very easily freeze some of those wounds.

Jack instead waved his staff at him menacingly and began walking off in the right direction. They were headed towards the lake.

After a long time of walking along, Jack finally spotted the rocks and the edge of the frozen water. There was still ghostly looking hole like shape in the ice where it had refrozen over but Jack still got chills when he thought of how it felt to plunge deep into the ice cold water.

He tried to ignore it when he heard a small voice call his name.

“Jack?” Jamie called from over near the rock formation, hiding slightly under a small overhang. Jack blinked in surprise, trying to guess why the kid was still alone in the woods but maybe he couldn’t get back to Burgess and god lost…yet he knew how to get home from the lake so why hadn’t he?

Jack flew forward, taking a large leap over the ice and landing beside Jamie roughly. Bunny stopped and waited, watching Jack from the other side of the ice. It was surprising considering that even in his right mindset Bunny wouldn’t allow Jamie near Jack, not at first anyway.

Jamie stood up from where he’d sat himself leaning against the large rocks and boulders, holding out the weapons and armor Jack had with him earlier. Surprised Jamie had even grabbed them in the first place, Jack instantly pulled the boy into a hug. “I know I’m pretty cold, since that’s a side effect of being all pale and stuff, but you deserve this.” Jack stated, ruffling Jamie’s hair.

The boy laughed slightly and nodded. “What’s wrong with him?” Jack asked, pointing towards where Bunny was sitting. Bunny had begun to start licking some of the wounds he could reach. Jack shook his head. “Pitch did something to him. He’s kind of reverted to big fur ball.” Jack explained as he pulled back from the hug.

Jamie shot his arm a wary look, and Jack looked at it as well. “Oh.” Jack muttered, now realizing his bite mark was actually reopened and bleeding again. Now, what the hell could _that_ mean? Jack wondered. He guessed Bunny might be pulling from him through the bond to heal himself? Was that how it worked?

“Don’t worry about it. Why aren’t you at Burgess?” Jack asked, turning his attention back to Jamie as he ripped part of his other sleeve off and tied it around the bite mark to stifle the bleeding. Jamie set down the Pooka weapons in his hands and looked at him worriedly. “There are wolves patrolling the town. It’s completely systematic and whenever anyone tries to leave, they get attacked. The people are starting to believe you about Pitch being the one causing it.” The Bennett replied.

Jack blinked, looking in the direction of the village. “So you hid here. Well, that’s a problem. I’m going to have to sneak in somehow.” He grumbled, slightly angered by Pitch’s new tactic. Who knew when he’d start using the people as leverage?

“Jack, you can’t do that! You’ll get killed!” Jamie said in an exasperated and worried tone.

Jack smirked and looked back toward shim. “I’m already dead, Jamie. I’ve died once for you guys and I’m ready to do it again.” He smiled, completely honest. Jamie gave him a bewildered look but nodded his head anyway.

“What do I do with these?” He asked, pointing towards the stuff on the ground beside him. Jack glanced towards the things he’d taken from the Warren. “Keep them with you. I’ll get you into Burgess.” Jack spoke, his head turning towards the other side of the lake at the same time.

There was movement again, but nothing solid. It was like the black sand had started to filter over the area. Jack frowned, picking up Jamie into his arms and hoping Bunny would get the idea to clear the area. Jack listened as the rustling grew closer. “Hold on, Jamie.” He said, pushing off the ground with his feet and silently calling on the wind to lift them up.

He and Jamie flew up to the nearest tree, settling in the highest of the sturdy branches, and watched as black sand filtered over the land and kept moving outward, as if searching. Bunny seemed preoccupied, and Jack watched as the sand grew closer and closer to his friend until eventually it converged there, surrounding him.

Jack and Jamie held their breaths, Jack’s hand sliding over Jamie’s mouth to keep him quiet. It was horrifying. Bunny had no clue what was going on. Then he began growling, his ears now attentive to the things around him but he also seemed to be in pain.

He was shaking, and slowly the sand began to climb up his body, nestle in his fur, darken the normal grey color. Jack watched as Bunny’s appearance became nearly all black and his eyes glazed over with white. He sat horrified as he watched his friend change.

This was worse than in the mountains. This was complete control.

Jack and Jamie watched as eventually the obvious pain in Bunny stopped. He turned his head towards their direction, sniffing the air and his ears flicking forward attentively.

Jamie flinched in his arms, causing snow to fall off the branch and hit the ground. Instantly a growl was elicited from Bunny, scaring the living daylights out of Jack and Jamie. Jack, knowing that they were in more danger than ever before, quickly jumped from the branch with Jamie folded up in his arms and flew over the air towards Burgess.

He watched only for a few moments as it seemed Bunny didn’t notice. He hadn’t thought to look up.

Jack tried to think happy thoughts, hoping his friend might be okay but he highly doubted that. Hell, he’d just abandoned Bunny while he was under the control of Pitch. But somehow Jack had to keep positive. He had to get back to Burgess, save his sister, and get Jamie back to his mother and sister.

He had to stop Pitch if anything and then hopefully everything would go back to normal.

-o-

Jack and Jamie eventually landed outside of Burgess with their trail left behind for Bunny to eventually track. It was kind of hard since they flew but Jack doubted that would stop the rabbit.

Instead Jamie began explaining how the wolves would move in the town, which paths they’d take, and how long. It was completely systematic and Jack figured he could probably fly them into Burgess. “Pitch has been keeping most of the villagers in the town hall from time to time but when they’re not there, they’re in their homes. Emma is always with him.” Jamie explained, holding tighter in his arm’s Bunny’s weapons and armor.

Jack nodded his head, watching as a wolf prowled around the outer edges of the town. There was a significantly less number which meant the others were out scouting or some were taken down. Jack wondered if the black sand and the wolves were directly tied together and that if some of the sand was the wolves? But that was a bit more off from reality than Jack would have expected, even with spirits and things being real.

They waited until the lone wolf cycled through their side of the village and it moved inwards towards one of the main streets. Jack and Jamie then both ran forward, running across the field and up to the edge of the town. Jack pulled Jamie close, picking him up into his arms again and leaning against the wall of the building.

Slowly they edged down one of the less used alleys. It was barely three feet wide and stuffed full of boxes and barrels. Jack had Jamie place the weapons in one of the boxes of hay and straw, hiding it under the dried grass and such. It would be best Jamie didn’t get caught with them in his possession.

Jack then climbed up the side of the wall, stepping onto the roof by using some of the boxes piled high. Jamie watched him worriedly, hoping he’d be safe. They knew they didn’t have long before another round of wolves cycled through.

In fact, Jack could hear the growling of a wolf as it approached. It had obviously caught onto their scent.

Jamie panicked, looking down both ends of the alley. Jack held up his forefinger to his mouth, signaling he remain quiet and then held his staff out for Jamie to grab onto. The boy stared at the wooden stick with worry but nodded his head and took hold, being lifted up onto the roof just in time for the wolf to see nothing in the alleyway and continue on its way.

Jack and Jamie both let out the breaths they’d been holding, calming their hearts that were beating wildly in their chests. Jack gave Jamie a reassuring smile, and they both made their way towards the other side of the roof. They looked up and down the main street, watching as a wolf disappeared around a corner.

Then instantly, Jack and Jamie jumped across from roof to roof, Jamie helping with the usage of the wind. They landed gently on the other roof, narrowly avoiding being caught as another wolf turned onto the street and made its way past the roof they were crouching on.

Jamie and Jack did this several more times, making their way towards Jamie’s home until they landed on the roof. Jack carefully surveyed the area once more, seeing that there were no wolves and gently lowered Jamie into the second story window of his home. Once he was inside, Jack easily slid in after them.

They were met with the bewildered gazes of both Mrs. Bennett and Sophie. “Jack?” The elder woman asked, staring at the quite familiar teen standing next to her son. Jack nodded his head, going to shut the window behind him.

Jamie ran instantly to his mother whom deftly lifted him up into her arms and hugged him close from where she’d been sitting on her bed with Sophie. Jack turned around from his place at the window and smiled. “We thought you were dead.” Mrs. Bennett stated once she and Jamie had become reacquainted.

Jack shrugged. “I guess I sort of am living the afterlife right now. I did drown in the lake.” Jack stated, leaning on his staff. “But I’m not here to come and take your souls or whatever nonsense Pitch is spewing.” He spoke sincerely.

Mrs. Bennett nodded her head. “We’ve all been worried. Ever since you left and the wolves started coming, most of the villagers don’t believe Pitch anymore. We can’t do much of anything about it but we all started thinking about you.” She explained, standing up and placing Jamie back down on the bed next to his sister.

Jack nodded his head. “I’m…I’m not really sure how much I can say but Pitch isn’t who he says he is and he’s getting stronger with the more people afraid. He feeds off of the fear.” Jack explained, his tone slightly wavering. He didn’t know what he was allowed to talk about. Seraphina said that spirits typically didn’t talk with the humans, not normally.

Mrs. Bennett frowned but nodded her head back. She then stepped forward, pulling Jack into a warm hug that reminded him of his mother. “Thank you for bringing Jamie back here. When he tried convincing us you weren’t a ghost, we didn’t believe him but now I know it’s really you.” She smiled warmly.

Jack blushed and rubbed the back of his neck once she released him from the embrace. “Well, you guys aren’t too far off when you say ghost. I mean, it’s not the easiest of situations to explain.” He said, glancing towards Jamie. He knew, he believed. But would anyone else? Probably not.

Mrs. Bennett shrugged anyway. “You don’t have to explain. You’re not obligated to but I do think your sister will be upset when she finds out you’re not going to be able to stay here.” The intelligent woman replied.

Jack sighed and nodded, giving her a slightly surprised look for realizing that. “I don’t think I can come back after all this is done. I’ll always be around to protect you guys, and I hope by the time this is over that the people of Burgess can travel freely, but I’m not sure I’ll get to stay here anymore.”

The woman understood, smiling. “I guess you should get going then? Emma has been staying with Pitch. They keep changing locations, but I think they’re with North.” She explained and Jack nodded his head.

At the same moment, a loud bell rang through the air.

The church bell was being rung.

As if a chill had gone through her, Mrs. Bennett’s eyes widened and she looked towards Jack with worry. “We’re being called to meet in the Church.” She explained and Jack nodded his head. “You’ll have to stay hidden.” She warned.

Jack exhaled deeply, giving her a look of agreement as he watched the woman pull Jamie and Sophie along with her downstairs. He stayed behind for a little bit before going towards the window that opened up into the alleyway.

He waited for what seemed like forever.

-o-

Meanwhile, Pitch stood at the head of the church, already knowing that Jack Frost was in the area and the Pooka was already under his control. He had Emma at the ready but he knew at this point that Jack wouldn’t side with him just because the rabbit killed his sister.

No, he’d have to blackmail him if anything. He scowled, knowing his plan was falling apart as he watched the villagers of Burgess file into the pews with worried and scared looks on their faces.

He could feel the fear radiating off of them like the heat they produced. It was disgusting to see so many pointless humans in one place but Pitch needed them afraid, and alive, if he wanted power. He didn’t have enough to make any more fearlings.

When the people of Burgess had all finally settled into the pews, Pitch glanced towards where he’d made Emma stand beside him. Emma was upset, angry, and obviously had caught on to the fact she was a hostage. All the people were starting to see it.

Pitch didn’t have long before North started something and all the people revolted. He had to keep them afraid.

At the same time as Pitch waited for the people to shut up and take their places, the doors that were now shut swung open with a force. Pitch smirked the moment he saw it happen.

In the doorway stood Jack Frost, just like before. But this time, the people looked onto him with less fear and more hope. Jack was standing there defiant and ready to start a fight and Pitch knew he’d come for his sister.

“Alright, Pitch. I think it’s about time you let the people of Burgess go.” Jack said, pointing at him with his staff. Pitch laughed at the very notion, crossing his arms. “I don’t think you understand what’s at stake here Jack. There’s only one situation where I even back off a little from these poor people.” Pitch replied, his tone menacing but also smug.

Jack frowned, stepping forward. “One way or another I’m going to make sure you never come near this village again.” Jack warned, his voice dripping with discontent and anger.

Pitch only kept smiling, his arms still crossed as his gaze shifted from Jack to behind Jack.

Standing in the open doorway was the same Pooka that Jack had been hiding with in the mountains. It was the same spring spirit that brought Jack back into the world from that lake that was growling from behind Jack, now looking onto him like he were his next meal.

As if he hadn’t expected it at all, and he probably hadn’t, Jack whirled round on his feet to face the beastly form of his friend.

The townspeople gasped, some of them standing so that they might have a faster escape. It was horrifying to see the beast in person, so up close. Jack didn’t hold the same fear they had though. Jack’s fear was driven not from fairytale and myth, or the occasional dead body but instead for the loss of his friend.

Jack didn’t want Bunny to wake up having killed everyone in Burgess and Jack included. He didn’t want that emotional weight to be added to the load Bunny already carried. Jack had seen the pain in the murals. He had seen the emotion in Bunny’s eyes when he talked about his people.

He had seen the guilt when Bunny told him about the day his parents died and what really happened.

Jack didn’t want that guilt and pain to be doubled, or tripled. He wanted it gone completely.

“Bunny.” Jack said, his voice shaking but also reaching out. He wanted Bunny to hear him like he had in the Warren. He wanted Bunny to know he was there, sense him, come back to realization. But there was no reaction but the unfamiliar growling and snarl of an angered beast.

Jack held up his staff wearily, knowing he was the only person protecting the people of Burgess right then. “Aster. Aster I know you’re in there and I know you don’t want to hurt these people.” Jack rambled, trying his hardest to get the Pooka to just remember.

“Aster it’s me. It’s Jack? Remember? You saved my life? You hate Pitch?” Jack kept speaking, seeing as it seemed to keep Bunny at bay but yet at the same time Jack could see his attention dwindling.

The nearly white, hazed over eyes darkened to an almost grey color, glancing towards the area behind Jack. Jack watched those eyes carefully, his own blue eyes widening in shock as he stared into them to see the reflection of Emma.

Bunny was going after Emma. Bunny was going to kill Emma.

“Aster!” Jack called out instantly, moving into action just at the same time Bunny jumped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHAHA CLIFFHANGERS OF DEATH.


	12. Parallels of Past and Present

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack faces Bunny and Pitch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, meant to post this yesterday but I was sitting with an abandoned newborn kitten almost all of yesterday. One of our cats had her first litter and didn't take to her kittens, most of which we never found except this little guy, and I tried to get him food from her but he was already super small and super cold. He made it a day but he wouldn't take food so we had to bury him yesterday. We named him Jack because he was so cold.
> 
> On a lighter note, this is a very action-y chapter and I'm not amazing with action I don't think but you guys can enjoy it :D We're coming towards the end of the story. I have ways to leave it open for a sequel but I'm not sure if I want to go into one...? I don't really know what I'd do with it yet. But shoot me up with some ideas in the comments :D
> 
> Super thanks to all you readers! Aussie slang in this chapter.
> 
> AUSSIE SLANG:  
> Bloke - man  
> Dill - Idiot, dummy  
> Dipshit - (i think we all know this one)  
> Good as a hat full of arse(holes) - Useless

_Jack felt the weight of Bunny crushing him, forcing him down to the floor as Jack barely had any time to brace for the impact. Jack felt the sharp teeth of his friend digging into his shoulder and collar bone, drawing blood much quicker than Jack could ever expect._

_He screamed, trying to hold back the vocalizations but it was so hard to fight it. It was instinct for him to call out but he had to be brave._

_Jack kicked and punched and otherwise flailed as Bunny dug his teeth into him, tearing skin in a matter of seconds. Jack could feel the muscles tearing, the bones cracking, his life draining from him. His eyes went horrifyingly wide, blanking slightly as he continued to fight._

_“Get off!” He screamed but nothing happened. Bunny seemed intent on killing him and then his sister. Jack tried turning his head to look at her but the muscles in his neck were already tearing at him, refusing he move._

_Instead he heard the endless laugh of Pitch in his mind and the cold seemed to be coming back, seeping into him. It was like in the lake._

_Jack felt blood bubble up his throat, coughing. He could barely breathe. Was he suffocating? His vision was blurring and black spots appeared in the corners of his sight but he fought still. The black was closing in._

“Jack!” A voice called out through the darkness and suddenly the situation changed.

Jack wasn’t underneath Bunny, having his life blood pouring from open wounds. He was standing there with his staff, pushing back against Bunny where he’d attempted to jump on him. It was Emma’s voice that drew him back to reality.

Was that Pitch’s power that had put him under the impression he was dying? Was it a nightmare?

No, it couldn’t have been that. Jack knew this was just the terrifying situation he’d been thrown into. His mind couldn’t stop swiveling around the worst outcome.

Jack held his breath, pushing against Bunny with his staff. The Pooka was bearing down on him, teeth bared and a ferocious growl escaping from his throat. Jack could see the blood dripping from his mouth. Jack could smell the stench of death coming off of him.

“Bunny!” He yelled, narrowly avoiding a snapping jaw as Bunny aimed to bite at him. There was no response, nothing. Not even a remote change like Jack would see before.

Jack could hear Pitch laughing behind him and spared a glance towards him. Pitch was holding Emma by her neck, an evil and smug grin spread across his face. “Careful, Jackson!” He teased and Jack frowned, his gaze narrowing as his arms began to shake slightly from the force of a two hundred something pound rabbit.

“Emma!” He called back, the girl waving at him. “L-look out!” She responded with trouble, Pitch’s hands blocking her windpipe and preventing her from speaking clearly.

Jack blinked in confusion, turning just in time to feel Bunny’s teeth plant themselves in his shoulder just like in his vision. Jack tried to stay upright, his knees shaking until they finally gave out and he landed on the hardwood floors with a loud slam.

The crowd of villagers gasped, some trying to escape the church. Tooth was about to rush to Jack’s aid but North and Sandy held her back, knowing it was smarter to stay out of it when they knew nothing of the forces they were dealing with.

Jack yelled in pain, holding his staff with both his hands still as Bunny stood over him, one paw on Jack’s chest holding him down.

“Get off me!” Jack shouted, shutting his eyes tight and trying to get Bunny off of him. The otherwise controlled Pooka didn’t respond other than continuing to bite into Jack’s neck. Jack could feel him starting to find his collar bone and took a tight hold of his staff with both hands and pushed upwards into Bunny’s broad neck and shoulders with all of his might.

Bunny, unprepared, was tossed off to the side as Jack rolled in the opposite direction. Gasping, Jack took one of his hands from his staff and used it to press down on his wound. Now both the bite mark in his arm and his shoulder were bleeding fresh blood. Jack had to act fast.

It seemed to do more bad than good when Jack had pushed Bunny off of him though. The Pooka had turned his sights towards Emma, knowing his target. Jack’s eyes widened in fear and surprise as he fumbled to get up again, his muscles already yelling at him to stay down.

Jack could feel the mark from Seraphina in his neck feeding him strength and slowly healing him but it wouldn’t be fast enough to save him. Jack knew that he was on a time limit as he threw himself upwards and raced across the room, jumping over the overturned pews and dodging people as they scrambled from the church.

“Emma!” He yelled, watching as Pitch left her alone at the front of the church, right under their altar of Jesus Christ. Jack watched him make his way towards the back door, obviously trying to leave Bunny to kill the villagers of Burgess.

Bunny was already charging at his sister, causing the little girl to cry out in fear. Jack made it just in time, throwing himself in front of her and pulling her up into his arms as he barely dodged claws. He could feel the clothing and skin ripping on his thigh as one of Bunny’s paws made contact and ripped into him.

Jack ignored his pain though, doing just what he had before over a decade previously. He could hear in the back of his mind his parents voices telling him to save Emma and run. He could see his mother’s bloodied face as she was murdered and he could feel his father’s reassuring hand on his shoulder before the man went to fight the beast off.

Everything was exactly the same but the stakes were higher.

If Emma were to die, so would Burgess. If Emma were to die, Bunny would never forgive himself. If Emma were to die, Pitch would continue to torture and torment the innocent until the end of time.

Jack could feel his heart pulsing in his chest with the power of nature. He could hear the flow of his blood and magic pounding in his ears.

He looked down to his frightened sister with sadness in his eyes. “I need you to be brave, okay Emma?” He said as he ran from the church, the sounds of Bunny following them.

The girl looked up to him with wide, brown eyes and nodded. “I’m not going to let you die.” Jack promised, heaving in breaths as he turned a few sharp corners and summoned on the magic to lift him and Emma up.

She held onto him like a life line as he flew upwards, barely able to lift up off the ground before he landed on one of the roofs clumsily. His magic control was wavering with his lack of energy. Jack only had time to make it to the woods before Bunny had caught up with them completely again.

Emma screamed the moment they were both tackled to the ground. Luckily, Jack managed to shield his sister with his body before she could get injured and pushed her in the opposite direction. “Run!” He yelled, sounding eerily familiar to how their parents had sounded years ago.

Emma shook her head at first, staring at him as Jack turned his staff around and blasted Bunny with ice so he’d back off slightly. The Pooka fumbled back a few steps, rubbing the snow and ice off with his front paws angrily.

“Jack!” Emma shouted, obviously afraid. Jack turned and looked at her. “Get _out_ of here Emma! Run far enough towards the mountains and a woman will be there to help you. Her name is Seraphina. She’s going to protect you, alright?” Jack yelled, sending a few more blasts of ice at Bunny.

Emma nodded her head nervously and wavered slightly before running off towards the valley. Bunny growled and tried to go after her but Jack held him back, pulling on his ears. “Get the hell away from her!” Jack screamed as he pushed against Bunny.

He only looked back once to see if Emma was far away. She was running quickly towards the ravine path. Good.

Jack turned his head back to face Bunny, his gaze softening slightly. “I know you’re in there!” Jack said in an exasperated tone, ignoring the claws digging into his abdomen and arm. “I know you can fight this. You don’t want to hurt anyone and you won’t let Pitch kill off the people of Burgess just like he killed off yours.” Jack spoke as he dropped his staff and kicked it a few feet away.

He saw a flicker of a change in Bunny’s eyes, his heart swelling with hope. Slowly one of his hands on Bunny’s neck to where the wound that killed Bunny was.

Jack was shaking, losing too much blood too quickly. “Come on Cottontail. You know who I am.” Jack muttered, staring at him straight in the eyes. Blue met the dulled greyish-green and slowly Jack could see specks of color returning to Bunny’s eyes.

His hands slid further up as Bunny remained completely still, his claws still digging into Jack’s skin but no longer moving. It was like internally there was a war going on in Bunny and Jack was the one causing it.

The air around them was thick with emotion.

“Aster?” Jack finally whispered, his wounds pulling more energy from him than ever before. Hell, it’d be a miracle if he lived.

Moments after Jack spoke, he felt the atmosphere change because of two things. One, Pitch was standing towards their right with Jack’s staff in hand chuckling like a madman. The other was the look in Bunny’s eyes changing.

“I can’t believe you’d think just a simple talk with him would bring him back.” Pitch spoke and Jack felt the pressure of Bunny’s claws leave him as the Pooka stepped back on his hind legs. Jack didn’t spare Bunny a glance, he just stared wild eyed at Pitch.

“What are you doing?” Jack asked, staring at the staff in the nightmare king’s hands. “Stop.” He muttered, his energy dwindling fast as he stepped away from Bunny slightly.

Pitch smirked, holding the staff up in his hands. “No.” The man said smugly, his grip on the stick tightening until it snapped. At the same time Jack felt a sudden ache in his chest as he dropped to the floor, his hands reaching towards his heart.

Pitch laughed, throwing both pieces of wood at Jack before his gaze shifted towards the rabbit under his control. Except the rabbit wasn’t standing where he’d been before, he was jumping at Pitch was claws drawn.

“Get away from ‘im!” A familiar, accented voice sounded through the air. Jack recognized hit immediately as he felt around. He’d landed on his knees and fallen to his side. His vision was swimming and there was a pounding in his ears as he coughed up blood.

He didn’t get to see anything as his eyes swiveled out of focus.

Bunny landed on Pitch, snarling and growling angrily as he tried to tear at the man’s face and chest. Pitch yelled in both pain and anger as he fought the Pooka off of him, running in the direction of his lair underneath the woods.

Bunny would have followed after him to make sure he never used his powers again but he could feel a strange, empty but horrifying pain through his bond with Jack and turned on his hind feet as quickly as possible to hop over to him.

He shook off a layer of useless black sand as he bent down, picking Jack up into his arms. “Jack?” He asked, his voice softer than normal. “Come on Jackie…” He felt horrified, worried, and all around regret for ever hurting Jack.

Jack’s head bobbed slightly as he raised a pale hand to rub some of the blood from his mouth. “Cottontail?” He muttered, a smile on his face as he tried to look at Bunny. The Pooka nodded his head, pulling Jack closer so he was held to his chest.

Jack noticed the certain lack of dark grey and black in Bunny’s coat. “You’re back?” Jack asked, unsure. Bunny nodded again. “Ah’m so sorry…” He whispered back, placing a hand over the bite mark he’d left in Jack’s neck.

“Don’t worry ‘bout it.” Jack muttered back, shaking his head. “I’ll be fine.”  He lied, knowing painfully well he could die at any moment. Bunny tried not to think of that as he glanced around the woods, staring down at Jack’s staff. If only he’d reacted soon enough so it hadn’t been broken. Otherwise Jack would have more energy and powers to heal himself.

Bunny turned his head the moment he heard a cracking of a branch in the distance. Standing several feet away was Seraphina with Emma in her arms. Emma was crying, but she looked much better off.

The hold Pitch had over the land in the area must have either dropped or retreated.

“Aster,” Seraphina spoke as she came closer, setting Emma down so she could heal the girl’s older brother. The Pooka nodded his head, placing Jack back down on the ground flat as Seraphina walked up to him to heal him.

Emma stared at Bunny wearily, obviously recognizing him to be the thing earlier aiming to kill him. She understood something had changed.

“Jack. I can’t heal you completely.” Seraphina spoke as she kneeled down beside the boy. “Pitch’s magic is still messing with the nature here so I can’t draw from it too much but I’ll be able to prevent you from dying. I can’t have you fighting anymore though. Aster and I will take care of it.”

Behind them Bunny shook his head. “I’m goin’ after ‘im. That bloke’s done enough an’ I’ve got the most magic right now.” He interrupted, standing on his hind legs. He would rather not leave Jack behind but he’d rather get rid of the threat now.

Jack looked towards him warily, pointing towards Burgess. “J-Jamie’s got your weapons.” Jack muttered, coughing up blood slightly again. Emma rushed forward to him, placing a hand on his forehead as she tried to avoid looking at his wounds.

Bunny blinked in confusion. “Weapons?” He asked, confused, before he realized that they had been taken. He remembered in the haze of his control that Jack had taken them with him…they must have been kept with Jamie.

Jack nodded his head once before earning a few scolding words from both Seraphina and Emma not to move his head.

Jack ignored them, sitting up slightly as he reached for both parts of his staff. Seraphina frowned at the sight of it, trying to hold him back but Jack pushed her away. His hands picked up the two separated pieces and with extreme care he lined them up again, holding them together and focusing on his magic.

At first, the pieces fell apart again.

But then he tried one more time, heaving in a deep breath and ignoring the trickling of blood in his throat. He mustered up as much energy as he could and tested the staff again. This time it didn’t fall away from itself in two pieces but was once more conjoined.

At the same time, Jack looked practically like a dead man as he fell back into Seraphina and Emma’s awaiting arms. “Use it.” He said holding it out to Bunny.

Bunny stared at him before nodding, taking the staff. “Ya dill…yer gonna kill yerself.” Bunny muttered under his breath as he watched Jack’s striking blue eyes shut and he was laid back down on the ground. He was obviously still alive as Seraphina began working her magic.

“Go!” Emma said from next to her brother, obviously conflicted with her feelings towards Bunny but she wouldn’t protest outwardly. Bunny nodded his head, heading back towards the village with Jack’s staff in hand.

Jamie was more than surprised when he saw Bunny standing in front of him in the street asking where the weapons were.

So were the people, but when they saw the Pooka standing on his hind legs, seemingly more friendly and less menacing, they didn’t do anything to protest. They didn’t want to aggravate the beast.

-o-

Pitch was standing in his lair, slightly hunched as he nursed his wounds. He cursed lightly under his breath, looking around the caverns and pathways to determine if he had been followed. So far, no one had appeared but he’d left Jack to die.

There was no way he’d get to manipulate Jack now, he was too far gone. It was best to eliminate him so Pitch had done so.

“Yer a sorry sight.” Bunnymund’s voice spoke through the cold air of the catacomb-like palace. Pitch’s gaze shot towards the Pooka and he frowned. Bunny was wearing the same weapons and armor he’d had when Pitch had killed him. It was an eerily family sight yet this time, they were not in the Warren and instead of the lives of the Pookas at stake, it was the lives of Burgess.

Pitch straightened, scowling. “Just because my magical borders have pulled back does not mean I am any weaker.” Pitch spoke, his tone defiant and sophisticated. Bunny frowned at his words. “At least this time I can finish you off once and for all without worrying about my daughter raising you from the dead.”

Bunny almost laughed at that. “The same goes for ya, dipshit.” He responded, pulling a boomerang from his bandolier. He had Jack’s staff attached to his bandolier, resting across his back and ready in case he needed it. He didn’t know why Jack had handed it to him, but he guessed it to be important.

Pitch frowned, sand beginning to pool in from random cracks in the ceilings and spilling from the top of the caverns, converging on them. In Pitch’s hands appeared a large, black scythe so that he may kill Bunny once and for all.

“It’s a pity Jack couldn’t join me before he gave up his life for that rotten village.” Pitch said, deliberately trying to anger Bunny.

The Pooka frowned but only acted as fearlings began to form from the black sand and other bits of it swarmed towards him in a shapeless form. Bunny pulled both of his boomerangs out, throwing them at the different forming fearlings so that they’d be destroyed before they could take shape.

The black sand forms just kept reforming, moving in towards him and advancing with no change. Bunny frowned, hopping from one walkway to a lower one, ready to get to Pitch and take him out first but the man appeared behind him with the same idea.

Bunny barely made it out of the way to avoid a rather large scythe from spearing him in the side.

“Damn…” Bunny cursed, creating a tunnel so that he’d end up on a higher platform. He fell through the tunnel and reappeared much higher up and stared around to find where Pitch was hiding in the shadows.

Then he felt the weight of something crash into him and saw a fearling, snarling and weak as it went to latch itself onto him. Bunny cursed, reaching for the closest weapon and drawing Jack’s staff.

When he aimed it at the fearling, it was frozen with a blast of ice and winter magic. Before it could unfreeze, Bunny punched the ice to cause it to shatter.

“Well…guess ah can’t say the stick is as good as a hat full of arse…” Bunny muttered, his ears flicking towards the sounds of movement. He turned, facing the other fearling just in time to freeze it as well. Behind the fearling stood Pitch at the ready with his scythe.

The man was frowning, obviously aware that he wouldn’t be able to defeat Bunny in the same way as he had centuries before. “You’re a grave robber now?” Pitch questioned, gesturing angrily towards the staff. He could see it was no longer broken.

Bunny smirked. “’Course not. The dead guy practically handed it over.” Bunny countered, holding the staff and breaking the frozen fearling next to him with it. Pitch’s frown deepened to a glower as he stalked closer, scythe held above him and ready to strike.

“You insolent fool.” Pitch growled. “I should exterminate you now.”

Bunny raised an eyebrow in question before tapping his hind foot twice. Pitch suddenly disappeared into a tunnel, scythe along with him until he reappeared right in front of Bunny. Bunny was ready for it, having Jack’s staff at the ready to handle Pitch when he resurfaced.

The hooked end of Jack’s staff was now poised around Pitch’s neck. “Yer a poor sod. Hope ya can patch it up with Manny and yer daughter ‘cause yer staying here.” Bunny replied, a serious look in his eyes. Pitch stared at him, obviously scared behind his big Nightmare King personality.

Bunny smirked, focusing his and the nature’s magic into the staff, causing a thick frost to start forming over Pitch. The man attempted to move as his muscles began freezing but it was all too slow. Bunny then stepped back on his hind legs, moving away as Pitch slowly bent his limbs so he was pointing at Bunny angrily.

The spring spirit didn’t hear anything through the layer of ice now covering Pitch. The fear spirit was instead poised so he had one arm pointing at Bunny, the other ready to attack with the scythe as his face was frozen into a permanent look of anger and frustration. His mouth was open like he was shouting something, and Bunny didn’t doubt that he tried to before he was frozen solid.

Bunny then turned, looking around as the sand all dropped from its life-like forms and became regular old black sand. He smiled slightly at his work, if only he’d had Jack’s help when Pitch had gone after the Pookas.

Then his thoughts turned back to Jack and he suddenly became filled with worry. He couldn’t feel anything through the natural bond they’d made when Bunny had to heal him. Maybe Seraphina had healed the wound and the bond was shut.

Bunny didn’t want to accept that. He liked being able to give Jack some of his strength and magic.

Bunny quickly moved forward, creating a tunnel back to the place in the forest where Jack was with Seraphina and Emma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How'd you guys like it? I mean it was mostly action and stuff so not much plot but, yknow. Dramatic Jackrabbit moments in there XD Next chapter should be up shortly.


	13. Endings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack Frost faces many goodbyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I finally mustered up the ending to this story in the midst of all the trouble happening at home. The chapter's longer! :D yay, but the ending is a little reader's choice. I put in some moments that I felt were okay. There's some Jackrabbit. :D But I never aimed for this to be an intensely romantic story because of the nature of it so, happiness for some readers, sadness for others. If I were to make sequel there'd be much more romance. (Which you guys can leave comments about if you want or try to contact me on my tumblr. I am r2mich2 there as well.)
> 
> On a side note, this story rounded out to 95 pages total in a word document with Calibri font? Idk some generic thing that wasn't arial. Size 11. So, we got pretty far with this one! Longest thing I've written so far :D I think that's an achievement. 
> 
> I want to thank everyone so much for the kudos and comments and bookmarks and subscriptions (lots to thank for). You guys are great readers and your support has been wonderful for me. I've never had such a good base of readers. I hope to post more stories for Jackrabbit in the future. My next would probably be a human AU that may or may not involve a homeless Jack Frost. I'm developing it slowly. If anyone is going to Otakon 2013, I will be there Saturday and Sunday as Jack Frost (female) if the cosplay works out. :D

Jack was in an out of consciousness for a long time, but he was stable. Needless to say he was oddly optimistic when it was all said and done, and he’d been very happy when Bunny had gotten his ‘revenge’ towards Pitch. Though they both knew there wasn’t much freedom there.

Seraphina had eventually left them with the advice that they return the area back to its normal state and give nature control of Burgess’ prison once more. The people gave wary looks towards the large rabbit that spent its time near North’s home. Inside, Jack was lying in the same bed he occupied for years, healing the worst of his wounds.

The closest of his family were the only people allowed to truly understand what had happened over the many years Pitch was in the area.

At first, North tried to keep Bunny away, (with threats), but Jack had promised to explain and soon the Pooka was allowed inside the home. Bunny often let off a few curses when Jack’s previous caretaker was away but toned them down whenever Emma was in the room.

Of anyone, Emma seemed to handle it best. She knew, this was the time where she’d lose her brother. Not literally, but in the sense where he’d possibly never get to see her again. She seemed perfectly okay with the fact, aside from a few well hidden tears.

Jack was lying on his back in his bed two nights after Pitch had been frozen in his lair when he heard his sister crying in the bed across the room. Jack knew she’d been good at hiding her tears but he’d seen the red eyes and dry cheeks from rubbing away any evidence of crying.

He should have known she cried the most when she thought Jack was asleep. He held back a sigh, eyes narrowing as he stared up at the ceiling. He could barely sleep. Each time he managed to fall into a slumber or a doze, the memory of losing his parents came back to mind and if it wasn’t them it was Emma’s scared face as she was in the hands of Pitch or fabricated memories of the Pooka race being decimated.

He figured Bunny shared those nightmares.

Slowly Jack began to move, feeling the ache in his shoulder as he changed positions to go to her side. He didn’t make it far. The first floor board he stepped on let out a loud creak as it always did. Jack could never understand why he always forgot about it.

“J-Jack?” Emma hiccupped, turning over on her bed and looking at him with wet, brown eyes. “Where are you going?” She asked with a little more confidence as she quickly fumbled to get out of her bed and help him.

Jack smiled slightly at her as she forced him back down onto his bed with little effort. “I was trying to talk to you but I guess I wouldn’t have had to move for that.” Jack said with a little sarcasm, having always been a smartass to adults. His sister always handled it well.

“You heard me crying then…” She said, ignoring his tone. She obviously seemed dejected. She hadn’t been able to hide the fact she’d been crying all that well.

Jack nodded his head once but lifted a hand towards her face, cupping her cheek. “What’s wrong?” He asked although he knew very well what was wrong. Her brother was lying half dead across the room and he’d already died once. Let alone the fact she’d probably never spend any significant time with him after he healed.

“You’re going away…I know it.” Emma said aloud, finally admitting her preconceived idea. Jack blinked and nodded. He was right.

His smile turned to a frown and he pushed some of Emma’s hair behind her ear. “Just think, if Burgess wasn’t plagued with the trouble it’s had…I’d have probably been gone for a couple of years now. Hell, mom and dad would have me married.” Jack reminded her. “You’d only have a few years before the same went for you.”

Emma brushed a tear from her eye. “But…I won’t see you.” She muttered sadly.

Jack’s frown deepened before he sat up slightly on his elbow, much to her displeasure. “Emma, the reasons I’m leaving…they’re bigger than either of us could imagine. Don’t worry about me returning because I’ll always stop by to see you. Bunny and I sort of got designated to the area. It’s not like we can leave.”

“Bunny and you?” Emma asked. There was a knowing look in her eye, though reserved.

Jack smiled slightly at that. She always had to insinuate things. “He may seem like a big angry fluff ball but he’s got a lot of history on him. Besides, you’ve got the other kids around here. You’ve got Jamie.”

The reaction was instant. A bright red blush appeared on Emma’s face and she backed up a step in embarrassment. “Jack!” She groaned in an annoyed tone. He always had to make fun of her. Jack only laughed lightly, trying to prevent he pain in his shoulder that came with it.

“I know, I know. But Jamie’s a good kid and he’ll take care of you. He helped me more in the past few days than I ever thought he could and he’ll probably end up being the one keeping Burgess in line. Hell he could become mayor in a decade or two.” Jack said, trying to comfort her. He was knowingly trying to change Emma’s focus so it wasn’t on him. Maybe it’d hurt less that way.

“Alright. You should sleep Jack.” Emma advised, knowing her brother all too well. She then turned and went back to her own bed, leaving Jack to his own thoughts.

Jack couldn’t believe his sister was growing up so fast.

-o-

For a few days, Jack was able to wander the village with assistance. The villagers were wary at first but soon blessed him and Bunny with smiles, practically thanking them for all they did for Burgess. Jack reunited with the children, showing them minor displays of winter magic and freezing over the lake completely so that they may ice skate without worry.

He waited with Bunny for Seraphina, who’d bring with them their new callings. Both had already discussed the fact they’d not be able to stay and the only few who seemed to understand or think something was going to happen were Jack’s close family and friends.

While Jack spent time with his hodgepodge group of tag along kids, Bunny found himself a new admirer. Sophie Bennett apparently had a large obsession for rabbits that no one really stumbled upon until she was able to climb around on a giant six foot tall one.

Needless to say, Bunny had found himself a friend and while he tried to hide it, Jack could see those happy smiles and his love for children. Jack still couldn’t move well without assistance but largely he was getting better.

One night, Jack had found Bunny staring out the window of North’s home, looking directly up at the moon. Jack hadn’t even been spoken to by ‘Manny’ but Jack had a feeling that one day he just might get to.

-o-

In the morning, Jack was able to move with less help from Bunny and the others and Seraphina had returned. North, Tooth, Sandy, Jamie, and Emma were all gathered in front of the fire place with Jack, Bunny, and Mother Nature herself.

It was an awkward meeting at first. The normal villagers of Burgess in the room were all sitting on one side while the spirits stood, or sat in Jack’s situation, near the fireplace. After a short private chat with Seraphina, Bunny and Jack had convinced her to stay and help them explain.

“There’s not much we are allowed to say. But you do deserve an explanation.” Seraphina started, looking towards each and every person in the room. “We are protectors of both nature and human life and most of us are chosen to be this way when we die. Jack, died of hypothermia and a wolf bite caused by Kozmotis Pitchiner. In normal cases, you wouldn’t have seen him after his death. But this changed when Pitchiner continued to torment your village.”

She glanced towards Jack and Bunny once more. “As a result, you all became aware of Jack’s prolonged presence. Since Pitchiner has been disposed of for the time being, Jack will be returning to the duties he was given at the time of his death. Typically, a spirit is only seen by their believers. Eventually, over time, some of you may never remember these events. It’s not often mortals can hold onto the memories of spirits because of the nature of the events being so unnatural.” She continued before Bunny took over.

“Fer safety reasons, we keep the elements o’ nature in the dark, existin’ only in myth. What happened here’s gonna have ta become jus’ that.” Bunny finished, crossing his arms over his furred chest. He had finally gotten most of the black sand shaken out of his fur and looked his natural greyish blue and white.

The villagers seemed confused. Emma was frowning, her hand in Jamie’s. “But what if others see you guys? What do we say when they ask?” She asked.

Seraphina frowned. “Say nothing, spread a myth. The reason for our secrecy isn’t because we think mortals cannot handle the knowledge. It’s because of the danger. If mortals were to turn on us, hunt us like animals, nature would fall into chaos. I hope you can understand, but some people like to think that humanity can control the forces of nature, which if practiced, could destroy the planet in the worst of situations. Pollution could spread. We cannot allow that.” Seraphina replied, her tone soft as she tried to help them understand.

North nodded his head, looking to Tooth and Sandy. Tooth seemed more dejected than any of the three adults. “So, to protect humanity, we can’t let them know what happened here? We can’t let them know that Jack and Mr. Bunnymund saved Burgess?” She asked, unsure. She wanted Jack’s name to be remembered for more than the kid who drowned in the lake.

“No.” Seraphina responded, her voice displaying understanding. “We must remain a myth.”

Jamie and Emma looked to each other, a shared thought on their minds before they looked to Jack. “Don’t worry about being remembered Jack, we’ll make sure it happens.” Jamie smiled. Seraphina and Bunny shot him a worried look but Jack smiled. “I really don’t care guys.” Jack responded, having remained silent. It was obvious he wanted to visit his family and the people of Burgess but eventually they wouldn’t be able to remember him as a person but instead a ghost.

Everyone gave Jack a knowing look but he didn’t respond.

“So…when are you leaving?” Emma eventually asked, obviously trying to spend as much time with her brother as she could. Jack sighed, already knowing the answer. The sooner the better, considering he had to get out of Burgess before people started asking questions. “Tonight.” He responded.

Instantly everyone was protesting. “But Jack, you’re not nearly healed enough!” Emma shouted, Tooth saying a similar thing. North stood up, after remaining silent beside Sandy. “Not healthy to leave! Stay longer!” He said in his booming voice but that wouldn’t change anything.

Jack knew he had to leave and the longer he spent there, the longer it’d take them to heal from losing him. “Just remember I’m still living, happy, enjoying myself and always warn the kids to test the ice on the lake.” He responded to them in a solemn tone.

The looks he was given were both sad and some happy. Jack knew he couldn’t stay with his family anymore. He didn’t belong there anymore, and he’d outgrown them. Emma didn’t need him to protect anymore, and North had already raised him to the best of his abilities.

The rest of the day was spent talking, reminiscing, and laughing. Jack spent his time sitting next to Bunny who was back to healing his wolf bite, with Emma and Jamie sitting in his lap.

They talked about the times when Jamie slipped on the ice at the lake and when Emma’s bread exploded. They laughed about how Jack always used to have a weird fear of horses. Jack tried not to get embarrassed in front of Bunny when they said that but he already had blackmail regarding the rabbit’s weird behavior while under slight control of fearlings and Pitch.

He still had yet to bring that up.

-o-

When it came time for Jack to leave, Jack gave his gentle hugs and goodbyes. Seraphina already left them to be. She had to go cover up the entrances to Pitch’s prison with vegetation and plant life. Over the main entrance was now a large tree.

Jack and Bunny knew they wouldn’t see her for a long time after that. She had other spirits and things to tend to.

Emma and Jamie were the first ones to cry when they were hugging Jack goodbye at the edge of the woods. The next was Tooth, who broke out in tears the moment she was within two feet of him. She hugged him a little tighter than he wanted but he was grateful. “Thanks…Ms. Tooth. I’ve only really got one piece of advice for you.” Jack smiled, face going paler when he couldn’t breathe.

The woman stepped back immediately, staring at him. “Really? What would that be?” She asked, blinking in confusion. Jack smirked. “You and North get married soon. You guys have been seeing each other behind everyone’s backs for ages. I think it’s time you build on that.” Jack said as a matter of fact.

Both North and Tooth went red in the face when he said that. Tooth backed away then, blushing and saying small scolding things under her breath towards him so the kids wouldn’t hear. Meanwhile, Bunny just laughed lightly behind them.

North then stepped forward, pulling Jack into a large bear hug. “Missing you already.” He said in a warm voice that only North could manage. He was a burly, strong man that was always too affectionate, even if his appearance begged to differ.

Jack smiled up at his uncle. “Watch over Emma for me?” He asked, knowing he’d be watching as well. If anyone tried to touch Emma without her permission, Jack would send them running with a bit of ice magic. If his powers were in their dormant state during the spring and summer, hell he’d bully Bunny into doing it.

“Of course.” North promised, nodding his head and ruffling Jack’s hair. Jack made a noise of discontent, smacking his hand off like any discomforted child would. North only chuckled.

Sandy walked forward, holding out a hand for a handshake. Jack and Sandy always had a mutual understanding with each other. The two never got angry with each other and always held high respect for the other. Jack would normally remain quiet in his presence, and they’d have their own silent conversations. Sandy reminded Jack of his father sometimes and for that, Jack was grateful.

“See ya, Sandman.” Jack smiled, shaking his hand once. The man grinned back and nodded his head.

Sandy then stepped away, leaving Jack to look back to his sister and Jamie. Jack had tried coming up with things to say to his sister over the hours he’d spent lying across the room from her, bleeding from open wounds. He didn’t know if he could ever say goodbye to his sister.

“You know I can’t really say goodbye.” Jack said, crouching down to her level. Emma nodded her head slightly, tears already in her eyes. She rushed forward, hugging him once more. “I’ll always see you and I’ll always be there for you.” Jack added, giving Jamie a glance. The boy was staring at him with tears in his eyes as well.

Emma nodded her head, holding back a sob. “I’ll always remember you, Jack. Take care of yourself.” She muttered through her tears, her breath hitching in several places. “You take care of yourself too.” Jack responded, burying his nose in her hair.

They used to look just like each other with the same chocolate brown hair. Now Jack had stark white hair and they no longer were the same.

Jack looked back towards Jamie with a grin. “Take care of my sister, little guy.” Jack said, walking over and ruffling Jamie’s hair. The boy flailed slightly in protest. “I’m not little!” He shouted but Jack laughed otherwise. “Yeah, you kind of are.”

Jamie frowned but played it off. “We’re never going to forget you, Jack.” He said, his tone more serious as he looked up at the teen he’d always seen as an older brother.

Jack nodded his head. “…thanks Jamie.” Then with that, he turned around to find Bunny standing there with his staff in hand. Jack hadn’t seen it since he’d handed it over to Bunny, and somehow he knew it was in the right hands, or paws really.

“See ya.” Jack smiled, waving to his family and friends before taking his staff from Bunny. Without another word, Bunny opened a tunnel below them and they were both sent falling through the earth.

-o-

When they reappeared, they were up in the mountains near the burrow. Jack ended up leaning on his staff, staring out at the land. It was brighter than it had ever been in the time Jack had lived there. There was a light snow falling in the air, something Jack unknowingly created. It was like everywhere the snowflakes touched life seemed to breathe into the earth. Even with the fact that winter kills more than it gives life to.

“Ya know yer most likely not ta see most of them again, right?” Bunny asked, sitting low on his haunches. Jack nodded his head, trying not to feel the aching sadness in him. He knew Burgess would do better without him physically there.

Slowly he glanced towards the mountain pass. “They’ll be able to leave now.” He commented, frowning. He’d never thought that time would come.

Bunny nodded. “Some’ll stay. Some’ll go. Yer uncle will stay, and yer sister.” He stated, giving Jack a comforting look. The boy nodded his head, shivering slightly from the cold. He’d gotten more clothes from his home in Burgess before he left and now had a newly patched up cloak. His torn shirt was replaced with another and Emma insisted he take his winter vest. Otherwise, he was generally the same.

Jack looked towards Bunny, his expression mostly blank aside from a few hidden emotions in his eyes. “What do you remember of when you were under the fearlings’ control?” Jack asked, concerned. Bunny’s green eyes widened before he looked away.

“Mostly being confused all the time. Fer a while ah didn’ think you were a threat.” He admitted and Jack smiled at that. “That was back in the Warren, before you dumped me in your old nest back there.” Jack smirked.

Bunny looked startled, giving Jack a confused and slightly fearful look. “Ya saw that?” He asked, though a larger question was lying under the question. Jack had to suspect something about the actions Bunny took towards him. If the Pooka remembered correctly, he’d thought Jack was his mate because of the magical bond he had on him from healing the bite mark. Though normally that wouldn’t mean much of anything, Bunny wasn’t in his right mind.

“Yeah. I know about your parents too, and the mural. I didn’t think you were that great of an artist.” Jack grinned while fully aware that he was probably embarrassing Bunny.

Bunny scowled at that, his ears no longer pinned against the back of his head but raised in slight defense. “You were intrudin’.” He accused and Jack shrugged. “You dropped me there, alone, and went off to do some random stuff. I might as well get to know the guy who thought I was his ‘doe’ or whatever you Pooka-people like to call it.” Jack rambled, walking a few steps in the opposite direction and making a few gestures with his hands.

That was when Bunny’s ears returned to being flat against the back of his head in humiliation. “The correct term _is_ doe.” Bunny replied defensively. “But who says I was treating you that way?”

Jack laughed. “You were awfully affectionate once you found the bond on the bite mark.”

Bunny’s frown deepened. “Oh shut up, Frostbite. Yer a lousy winter spirit and yer a lousy doe.” Bunny responded with an obvious feeling of embarrassment but he was hiding it well. But Jack always knew his insults were almost always a defense mechanism.

“What makes you say that?” Jack prodded, pointing his staff at Bunny for a moment before resuming standing with it.

Bunny shot him a serious look. “Ya dun know how ta stay put or listen ta people.” He said in a defiant tone and Jack instantly laughed. “I wasn’t going to stick around while you went crazy if that’s what you mean. I had to get your mind straight again.”

To that, the Pooka rolled his eyes and looked back out at the mountain pass. What he didn’t expect was for Jack to walk the few steps over to him and pull him into large hug. It was oddly similar to the hold Jack had on him when he brought them to the Warren, but also less concerned and kinder.

Not knowing what to do, Bunny drew up his arms and hugged him lightly back, mostly just staring at his closed eyes with confusion. “Thanks for taking care of me.” Jack said, his voice slightly muffled by Bunny’s fur.

“Jus’ water under the bridge, Frostbite.” Bunny responded, turning his gaze back out to the land they were meant to watch over. He knew that when winter ended and Bunny’s magic would burst back into life and Jack’s would diminish largely, the boy would still stick around rather than seek out colder climates.

Bunny was glad to say he’d do the same.

-o-

Burgess stayed mostly untouched by the worst of the winter, thanks to Jack, and when spring came along and some of the villagers went to plant their crops again, Bunny made sure they sprang to life with so much fervor that the plants would win awards in other villages.

Most of the people forgot the large Pooka and Jack but a rumor did arise that they were being watched over by some sort of spirits. They had never understood the whole story so they never knew how right they were.

Jamie made it his best effort to keep the myth of Jackson Overland Frost being the guardian angel for all children and all of Burgess. Needless to say, the younger generations picked up the story with such enthusiasm that the tale was constantly passed on as people got older.

When that winter had first ended and there were many villagers who sought to leave Burgess, North led them out through the mountain pass with care. There were no casualties, seeing as every time a carriage went out of control and nearly plummeted into the ravine or ran over a small child, vines would seem to grow from nowhere and stop the mess from occurring.

No one suffered from the cold still lingering in the nights, and with the joint effort of the spirits it stayed within the high sixties each night.

Soon enough, seasons passed into years, and years into decades. Jack had watched Emma and Jamie get married from the darkened rafters of the same church he’d fought Pitch in. He watched his sister’s children carefully, and always felt a pang in his chest when he heard them rambling on about ‘Jack Frost’ and his Pooka friend.

Jack had meant to visit his sister at least once in those years but never found the courage to. He felt like he’d abandoned her, whether Bunny tried to convince him otherwise or not. Either way, Bunny was a great comfort, and was always there for Jack no matter the situation.

Many times when Jack would visit Emma and see if she was alright, no matter the age, he’d find folded clothes in the window and some other treat or pastry wrapped up in a small cloth for him. Jack never found a note but when trades began with other villages and Emma could tailor better clothes, he found mixtures of Blue and white jackets and shirts and vests.

Needless to say, he’d leave some form of ice sculpture or message in the snow for her.

It was an endless game of cat and mouse for them.

Then Emma got sick. She was much, much older and she was a grandmother. She’d outlived most of their friends from before and Jamie had passed away in the previous fall. It was winter, making Jack feel like he could have done more to prevent her illness.

But when he sat there, perched on her windowsill and stared at her sleeping form, he didn’t expect for her to be awake. Emma had opened her eyes slightly as she lay there and seen Jack hiding from everyone else.

“Jack?” She muttered in an old and tired tone. Instantly her ageless brother flinched to life, scrambling towards the edge of her bed. He was wearing some of the clothes she’d made for him. “Emma?” he asked, worry filling his tone.

The woman smiled. It was hard to see her brother after so long but she was happy. “You haven’t aged a bit…” She muttered and Jack nodded lightly. “I can’t say the same about you.” Jack responded, taking her hand into his.

When she winced at the cold, he instantly let go with an apology. He forgot he radiated cold like ice itself. “It’s alright. I’m happy to see you.” Emma said with more certainty and Jack nodded. “I’ve been watching over the kids…” Jack explained. He’d been keeping track of his nieces and nephews and their children over the years.

The only child that ever worried him was Emma’s granddaughter. She’d been prone to accidents and often fell a lot. Every time Jack tried to help, he could barely remain out of sight. On more than one occasion, the girl talked about a ghost man that always appeared in the corner of her eye.

Jack only had to avoid her as well. He’d found over the years that only the people who believed in him could see him. Bunny had gotten the message from Seraphina and Manny but it was too late, Jack already had a child walk directly through him.

It was horrifying at first but he got used to it. It was nice Emma still believed. “I know. You’ve always been watching.” She coughed for a moment, an ugly retched cough that made Jack feel sick to his stomach that his sister was dying. “I always will.” Jack promised.

Emma nodded her head before looking towards the ceiling. “I guess I won’t see you in the afterlife…so goodbyes are in order…” She partially muttered, partially whispered. Jack blinked, feeling tears gather in his eyes.

“I don’t feel like saying goodbye though. I already did when you and Bunny disappeared that day in the forest…and that’s the way it shall stay. No need being redundant…” Emma smiled, giving Jack a look before closing her eyes.

Jack didn’t know it happened but she stopped breathing within moments. He was beside himself. He couldn’t do anything. “…Emma?” He whispered, staring at her and checking her pulse but there was nothing there. “Emma!” He called slightly frantic.

He couldn’t just lose his sister like this. They never had time to talk, catch up, or simply be siblings. “...don’t go like this…” Jack muttered, burying his face in the blankets on her bed. “It’s too soon.”

After a little while, behind him he saw Bunny outside the window and knew his time was up. “I’ve got to go.” He said, voice softer as he looked at his sister. It was devastating to see her go but he knew that was nature.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thanks so much for this journey of a story and any sequel ideas please send me messages about. I'm pretty open for another story in this universe I've created. :D


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